Coyne PR has picked up Pacira Pharmaceuticals to tout its non-opioid pain control drug, Exparel.
The drug comes amid an epidemic of opiod painkiller abuse and deaths. Parsippany, N.J.-Pacira, which previously worked with Pure Communications, developed the drug, approved in 2011, to administer into a surgical site. It brought in Coyne to target healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers and position Exparel as an alternative or limit to opioid drugs.
Amber Sears, senior director of corporate comms. for Pacira, said the company has an opportunity to address the opiod issue and tapped Coyne to take the "story to the right audiences nationally."
Kelly Dencker heads Coyne's healthcare practice.
Pacira was the target of a warning letter from the FDA's Office of Prescription Drug Promotion in 2014 over Exparel, but the company sued the FDA, which rescinded the letter in a settlement.
Lo Isidro, senior director at Real Chemistry with more than a decade of strategic communications and PA experience, has joined Narrative Strategies.
Nelson Fernandez, former North American chair of APCO Worldwide and managing director of Burson-Marsteller, has joined Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires as director of communications and PA.
Lilit Bargar, who was most recently an EVP in the healthcare practice at Weber Shandwick, comes on board at GCI Health as EVP, corporate practice lead.
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