Pacira BioSciences Appoints Samit Hirawat, M.D., To Board Of Directors, Expanding Board To 10 Members Amid Growth In Non-Opioid Pain Therapies

Pacira BioSciences, Inc., a company focused on developing innovative non-opioid pain treatments, announced that Samit Hirawat, M.D., has been appointed to its Board of Directors. With this addition, the Board now consists of 10 members. The appointment reflects Pacira’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its leadership as it advances its portfolio of non-opioid pain therapies.

Laura Brege, independent board chair at Pacira, said the company is pleased to welcome Dr. Hirawat to the Board. She noted that he is a well-regarded figure in the biopharmaceutical industry with extensive experience in clinical development and a deep commitment to advancing patient-focused treatments. According to her, his insights and leadership will support Pacira's plans to expand its commercial portfolio and advance its pipeline of non-opioid pain solutions aimed at raising the standard of pain management care.

Dr. Hirawat shared that he is excited to join the Board at an important stage in Pacira’s growth. He said that Pacira has established itself as a leader in non-opioid pain management with a strong commercial foundation and a promising pipeline of new therapies, including next-generation gene-based approaches. He added that he looks forward to working closely with the leadership team and contributing his experience to help the company pursue its mission of redefining how pain is treated for patients globally.

In his most recent role, Dr. Hirawat served as Chief Medical Officer, Executive Vice President, and Head of Global Drug Development at Bristol Myers Squibb. During his tenure there, he was responsible for the company’s global clinical development efforts and played a key role in advancing several impactful therapies across different therapeutic areas. Before joining Bristol Myers Squibb, he spent more than ten years at Novartis Pharmaceuticals in a series of increasingly strategic and operational leadership roles, ultimately serving as Executive Vice President and Head of Oncology Development.

Dr. Hirawat earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Sawai Man Singh Medical College, where he also completed his residency training in General Surgery. He later completed an Internal Medicine residency and a Medical Oncology fellowship at North Shore University Hospital. Over the course of his career, he has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and abstracts across diverse therapeutic fields.