WEST CHESTER, Penn. – July 22, 2025 – Johnson & Johnson MedTech, a global leader in orthopaedic technologies and solutions, today announced a strategic co-promotion agreement with Pacira BioSciences, Inc., the industry leader in the delivery of innovative, non-opioid pain therapies. The agreement expands the Company’s Early Intervention portfolio with ZILRETTA® (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension) an extended-release injectable for treatment of pain related to osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. It also includes shared professional education and engagement initiatives to support awareness of non-surgical options earlier in the treatment process.
Osteoarthritis is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects more than 30 million adults in the United States alone, with knee OA being one of the most common and debilitating forms.i Despite a wide range of available treatments, many patients continue to experience pain and mobility limitations, highlighting the need for more effective, longer-lasting solutions earlier in the care pathway.ii
“This collaboration represents a meaningful step in addressing the growing burden of osteoarthritis and helping millions of patients find relief earlier in their treatment journey,” said Oray Boston, Worldwide President of Trauma, Extremities, Craniomaxillofacial, Animal Health and Sports Medicine, Orthopaedics, Johnson & Johnson MedTech. “It also expands our Early Intervention portfolio, deepening how we engage patients at a critical point in care.”
This agreement reflects Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s broader mission to advance orthopaedic care with solutions that reflect changing patient needs and support better outcomes across the spectrum of disease severity.
About ZILRETTA® (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension)
On October 6, 2017, ZILRETTA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first and only extended-release intra-articular therapy for patients confronting osteoarthritis (OA)- related knee pain. ZILRETTA employs proprietary microsphere technology combining triamcinolone acetonide—a commonly administered, short-acting corticosteroid—with a poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) matrix to provide extended pain relief. The pivotal Phase 3 trial on which the approval of ZILRETTA was based showed that ZILRETTA significantly reduced OA knee pain for 12 weeks, with some people experiencing pain relief through Week 16. Learn more at www.zilretta.com.
Indication and Select Important Safety Information for ZILRETTA
Indication: ZILRETTA is indicated as an intra-articular injection for the management of OA pain of the knee. Limitation of Use: The efficacy and safety of repeat administration of ZILRETTA have not been demonstrated.
Contraindication: ZILRETTA is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to triamcinolone acetonide, corticosteroids or any components of the product.
Warnings and Precautions:
• Intra-articular Use Only: ZILRETTA has not been evaluated and should not be administered by epidural, intrathecal, intravenous, intraocular, intramuscular, intradermal, or subcutaneous routes. ZILRETTA should not be considered safe for epidural or intrathecal administration.
• Serious Neurologic Adverse Reactions with Epidural and Intrathecal Administration: Serious neurologic events have been reported following epidural or intrathecal corticosteroid administration. Corticosteroids are not approved for this use.
• Hypersensitivity reactions: Serious reactions have been reported with triamcinolone acetonide injection. Institute appropriate care if an anaphylactic reaction occurs.
• Joint infection and damage: A marked increase in joint pain, joint swelling, restricted motion, fever and malaise may suggest septic arthritis. If this occurs, conduct appropriate evaluation and if confirmed, institute appropriate antimicrobial treatment.
Adverse Reactions: The most commonly reported adverse reactions (incidence ≥1%) in clinical studies included sinusitis, cough, and contusions.
Please see ZILRETTALabel.com for full Prescribing Information.
Orthopaedic Solutions from Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Across Johnson & Johnson, we are tackling the world’s most complex and pervasive health challenges. In Orthopaedics, we are on a mission to keep people moving by leveraging our deep expertise in joint reconstruction, robotics and enabling tech, spine, sports, trauma, and extremities, to develop the next generation of medtech solutions. We offer one of the most comprehensive Orthopaedics portfolios in the world that helps heal and restore movement for the millions of patients we serve. For more, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.
About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more about our MedTech sector’s global scale and deep expertise in cardiovascular, orthopaedics, surgery and vision solutions at https://thenext.jnjmedtech.com. Follow us at @JNJMedTech and on LinkedIn. DePuy Synthes Sales is a Johnson & Johnson company.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the agreement with Pacira Pharmaceuticals. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of DePuy Synthes Sales and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: uncertainty of commercial success; challenges to patents; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; manufacturing difficulties and delays; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither DePuy Synthes Products, Inc. nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.
© Johnson & Johnson and its affiliates 2025. All rights reserved.
Footnotes
i Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Osteoarthritis. CDC. Updated January 26, 2024. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/osteoarthritis/index.html
ii Hunter DJ, Bierma-Zeinstra S. Osteoarthritis. Lancet. 2019;393(10182):1745-1759. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30417-9
Media Contact:
Madeline Nafus
mnafus@its.jnj.com