Heron Therapeutics' ZYNRELEF® Poised To Lead Non-Opioid Pain Relief Revolution In 2025 Healthcare Policy

Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRTX), a biotechnology company in the commercial stage, announced today that ZYNRELEF® (bupivacaine and meloxicam) has been included in the proposed 2025 Non-Opioid Policy for Pain Relief under Medicare's hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system. This inclusion, part of the Proposed Rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is set to take effect on April 1, 2025.

Currently, ZYNRELEF benefits from CMS's pass-through payment status, which will expire on March 31, 2025. The April 1, 2025 effective date under the Proposed Rule aims to ensure uninterrupted separate reimbursement for ZYNRELEF in HOPDs and ASCs. Moreover, CMS's proposal for calendar year 2025 suggests that payments for qualifying drugs, such as ZYNRELEF, will not undergo a reduction offset, maintaining Medicare payments at average sales price plus six percent. This decision by CMS is likely to influence similar policies among commercial payers, as anticipated by Heron.

Craig Collard, Chief Executive Officer at Heron, said in a statement, “We applaud the efforts of CMS to expand access to non-opioid postsurgical pain management options. The inclusion of ZYNRELEF in the Proposed Rule is an important step in ongoing efforts to reduce opioid utilization in the U.S. and ensures patients and providers have access to ZYNRELEF following these often very painful surgical procedures.”