RBCx features AmacaThera’s journey
RBCx, the tech banking and investment arm of the Royal Bank of Canada, has featured AmacaThera’s drug development platform and start-up journey.
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• AmacaThera receives US$5 million upfront and up to US$225 million in potential future milestone payments with Pacira BioSciences for AMT-143, AmacaThera’s long-acting non-opioid anesthetic for post-operative pain.
• AMT-143 leverages AmacaThera’s breakthrough tunable hydrogel platform, delivering sustained local release of ropivacaine.
• AmacaThera and Pacira will collaborate on the Phase 2 clinical program, and Pacira will fund clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization, with the program projected to commence in 2026.
• Partnership marks a major validation of AmacaThera’s scalable hydrogel delivery technology and its transformative potential across multiple therapeutic areas.
Toronto, Ontario – November 4, 2025 — AmacaThera, a leading developer of next generation hydrogel-based drug delivery solutions that enable precise, tunable, and sustained release to improve a wide range of active therapeutics, today announced an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Pacira BioSciences, Inc., a leader in non-opioid pain management, for the development and commercialization of AMT-143, an investigational long-acting non-opioid anesthetic for post-operative pain.
AmacaThera’s innovative hydrogel-based drug delivery platform provides precise, localized, and extended-release capabilities in an easy-to-administer format. AMT-143 has been clinically tested in a Phase 1 trial and delivered sustained release of ropivacaine for up to 14 days. The platform’s adaptability supports a wide spectrum of therapeutics, from small molecules to biologics, making it a scalable and customizable solution for today’s complex drug delivery needs.
Under the terms of the agreement, AmacaThera will receive US$5 million upfront and up to US$225 million in future development- and sales-based milestone payments and a tiered royalty on future net sales. The companies will collaborate on clinical development, with AmacaThera leading select clinical studies. Pacira will fund clinical development of AMT-143 through commercial launch. Pacira and AmacaThera expect to initiate a Phase 2 trial in 2026, after which Pacira will assume full responsibility for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of AMT-143.
“This partnership with Pacira is a major validation of our tunable hydrogel platform and our approach to developing long-acting therapies,” said Mike Cooke, CEO of AmacaThera. “This partnership allows us to accelerate AMT-143’s development while demonstrating the strength, versatility, and commercial appeal of our technology to future partners.”
Molly Shoichet, CSO of AmacaThera, added, “Our platform combines two well-known, biocompatible polymers into an elegant hydrogel that enables precise, localized, and sustained drug delivery. It is compatible with a wide range of therapeutics, from small molecules to biologics, and can be precisely adjusted to meet the unique needs of each clinical application.”
Key Highlights of the Deal and Platform
- Platform validation: Partnering with Pacira underscores the clinical and commercial credibility of AmacaThera’s hydrogel technology.
- Non-dilutive funding: AmacaThera accelerates innovation while preserving ownership and long-term value.
- Superior technology: Hydrogel is simple to manufacture, easy to apply, and offers tunable, long-lasting effects.
- Commercial scalability: Established manufacturing allows for easy scale-up and technology transfer to partners.
- Revenue potential: Structured milestones and royalties align with AmacaThera’s strategy of building a diversified, scalable pipeline through partnerships.
“We are excited to expand our leadership in innovative, opioid-sparing pain management with the addition of this highly complementary asset to our pipeline,” commented Jonathan Slonin, MD, MBA, CMO of Pacira BioSciences. “We look forward to advancing this exciting asset into Phase 2 clinical development in partnership with AmacaThera.”
This agreement reinforces AmacaThera’s unique position in the drug delivery space, where its hydrogel platform can be customized to enable rapid and sustained drug release, low-cost manufacturing, broad therapeutic compatibility, and flexibility for multiple partnership opportunities.
Advisors: Aquilo Partners LP and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP acted as financial and legal advisors to AmacaThera on this transaction, respectively.