Expert Committee Votes Down Nerve Block Indication for Exparel

An FDA advisory committee narrowly voted against recommending an additional nerve block indication for Pacira’s Exparel, a local analgesic approved in 2011 for post-surgical pain management.

In a Feb. 14-15 meeting, the FDA’s Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee voted 6-4 against the additional indication for nerve block.

Those who voted against the indication acknowledged that the data suggested the drug could eventually be approved for the additional indication, but they called for more safety and efficacy data to address the drug’s association with patient falls.