We recently published a list of 10 Best Pharma Stocks to Buy for Long Term Growth. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) stands against other best pharma stocks to buy for long term growth.

U.S. Pharma Turns to China for Drug Deals

With big American pharmaceutical corporations always searching for medications in China, the US pharmaceutical industry is going through a unique trend never seen before. About 30% of Big Pharma acquisitions involving at least $50 million upfront in 2024 involved Chinese corporations, according to DealForma statistics, as reported by CNBC. This was an increase from 20% the previous year and nearly 0% just five years before.

Experts cite several causes for this tendency. Some people think that Chinese pharmaceutical firms are drawing notice due to their sophisticated development skills, which enable them to produce potent compounds in large quantities. In addition to being able to start testing on human subjects more quickly, these Chinese companies can charge a lower price for these medications than the US. Buyers have developed a business strategy that enables them to import medicines through licensing agreements, according to CNBC. The dearth of venture capital in China is additional pressure on biotech companies to enter these agreements.

Experts think this situation is here to stay, even though there are several possible causes for this tendency. Although the US pharmaceutical industry is expected to be impacted, it is uncertain how these effects would manifest. If big pharmaceutical companies find a good Chinese drug at a low price, some experts think it may destroy American startups; others think the competition would benefit the sector. Tim Opler, a managing director in Stifel’s global healthcare group, stated the following regarding the circumstances:

“It’s kind of a watershed moment where the pharma industry is like, ‘We don’t really need to buy U.S. biotechs necessarily. We will if it makes sense, but we can buy perfectly good biotech assets through licensing deals with Chinese companies.”

Emily Field, Head of European Pharma Research at Barclays, spoke to CNBC on February 20 about the performance of obesity medications, the effects of US tariffs, and the dynamics of the pharmaceutical industry. According to her, at least in the first half of this year, the industry might not perform poorly. The effectiveness of obesity medications is still up for debate, though, as leading companies in the field have shown inconsistent results in the past.

Speaking about the tariffs, she stated that since some businesses assemble their products in the US after producing them overseas, their implementation raises several unanswered questions for the pharmaceutical industry. These businesses, therefore, have relatively low manufacturing costs, which is an important factor to take into account when assessing the effects of tariffs. She thought that these businesses could easily absorb the higher expense of the tariffs. The topic hasn’t come up much on earnings calls this quarter, and the market is nearing the end of the reporting season.

Our Methodology

For this article, we screened for companies that operate in the pharmaceutical industry. From that list, we identified stocks that have achieved positive revenue growth over the past five years. Then, we picked companies with a 5-year revenue growth of 10% and ranked the top 10 based on hedge fund sentiment as of Q4 2024, as per Insider Monkey’s database.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

Pacira Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 30 

Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing non-opioid pain management solutions, with its primary product being Exparel, a long-acting local analgesic for postsurgical pain. The business sells Exparel directly to medical facilities such as hospitals and surgery centers. Because of its dedication to non-opioid medicines, the company stands out in the business. The company wants to solve the opioid crisis and decrease opioid consumption by providing safer options for pain management.

Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) reported a record total revenue of $701 million for 2024, which was driven by solid sales performance across its key products. EXPAREL led the way with $147.7 million in revenue, followed by ZILRETTA at $33.1 million and iovera at $6.5 million—all showing steady growth from the previous year. The company reported a strong non-GAAP gross margin of 79% for Q4 and ended the year with $485 million in cash and investments.

Looking ahead, Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) projects 2025 revenue between $725 million and $765 million. This growth outlook is supported by expanding demand for its non-opioid pain management solutions, a market that continues to grow amid rising awareness of opioid addiction risks. As one of the best pharmaceutical stocks focused on innovative pain therapies, Pacira is positioning itself for long-term growth. While SG&A expenses increased due to investments in commercial and medical operations, these initiatives are expected to support long-term growth and broader market access.

Investor confidence is bolstered by the company’s strategic focus on innovation and access. The company received the RMAT designation from the FDA for PCRX-201, backed by promising two-year Phase 1 data. Additionally, the business has secured separate CMS coverage and product-specific reimbursement codes for both EXPAREL and iovera, simplifying billing and improving accessibility. These developments, alongside a strong product lineup and commitment to non-opioid therapies, position Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) for continued success in the evolving pain management landscape.

Overall, PCRX ranks 7th on our list of best pharma stocks to buy for long term growth. While we acknowledge the potential of pharmaceutical companies, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PCRX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.