Allies in Innovation: The Rise of Drug Delivery Partnerships

AmacaThera-Pacira and MannKind-scPharmaceuticals deals mark a new model for biotech collaboration

11 Nov 2025

Two headline-making alliances are reshaping how drug delivery innovation reaches patients, proving that in today’s biotech world, smart partnerships can move science faster than any lab alone.

AmacaThera, developer of a tunable hydrogel system, has teamed up with pain-management leader Pacira in a global licensing deal worth up to US$230 million. The agreement gives Pacira worldwide rights to AMT-143, a long-acting, non-opioid anesthetic that delivers ropivacaine steadily for two weeks. The Phase 1 results suggest a potential breakthrough in managing postoperative pain with fewer doses and milder side effects.

For Pacira, the partnership brings access to a cutting-edge formulation platform that strengthens its non-opioid pain franchise. For AmacaThera, it offers the manufacturing scale, regulatory expertise, and commercial reach needed to bring its hydrogel technology to global markets.

Meanwhile, MannKind is expanding through acquisition, agreeing to buy scPharmaceuticals in a deal valued at up to US$360 million. The move gives MannKind FUROSCIX, a wearable infuser that treats fluid overload in heart failure and kidney disease. With first-half 2025 sales of US$27.8 million, up 96 percent year over year, FUROSCIX offers an entry point into a market estimated above US$10 billion.

Together, these collaborations show how partnerships now drive the evolution of therapy delivery. Biotechs with platform technologies are finding strength in pairing with established players that can navigate regulatory paths and scale production. Larger companies, in turn, gain access to adaptable systems that extend their product pipelines and patient reach.

The takeaway for the industry is clear: success increasingly depends on partnership strategy as much as scientific ingenuity. Whether through licensing or acquisition, alliances are becoming the lifeblood of innovation in drug delivery.