Quick answers
- What is Exparel?
- Exparel is a brand name of Bupivacaine, a prescription medicine. The FDA NDC Directory lists 2 Exparel products in 1 strength and form.
- Who makes Exparel?
- Pacira Pharms Inc holds the FDA application for Exparel (NDA022496, approved October 28, 2011).
- Is there a generic or store brand of Exparel?
- Yes. The FDA NDC Directory lists 2 other products with the same active ingredients, strength and form as a Exparel product, 2 of them generic. Ask your pharmacist whether one is right for you.
- Has Exparel been recalled?
- FDA enforcement reports list 1 recall of Exparel products; the newest started November 21, 2019. A recall usually concerns specific lots, not every product.
What Exparel is
Each Exparel product as listed in the FDA NDC Directory, by active ingredient, strength and form, with its official label. “Same medicine, other names” counts the other products with exactly the same active ingredients, strength and form (generic versions, store brands and other brands); inactive ingredients can differ.
Bupivacaine · prescription medicine
| Strength and form | Product names | Same medicine, other names | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| bupivacaine 13.3 mg/mL injection, suspension, liposomal (infiltration) | Exparel | 2 products, 1 company | DailyMed |
Its page lists every product and company, the FDA label’s uses and boxed warning, approvals, shortages and recalls: Bupivacaine →
FDA approval
- NDA: New Drug Application: how a new (usually brand-name) medicine is approved.
| Application | Holder | First approved | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDA022496 | Pacira Pharms Inc | October 28, 2011 | 2 |
Companies that list Exparel
The company named on the package (holder, repackager or distributor), as listed in the FDA NDC Directory, with its number of Exparel products.
- Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.2 products
Recalls
From FDA enforcement reports, matched by the product’s NDC code or label. A recall usually covers specific lots: check the lot number on your package and ask your pharmacist. Do not stop a medicine on your own.
-
November 21, 2019 · Class II · Terminated · D-0621-2020
Sub Potent Drug: Out of Specification (OOS)
EXPAREL, Bupivicaine Liposome Injectable Suspension, 1.3%, 266 mg/20 mL (13 mg/mL), Sterile, 20 mL vial, Rx only, Manufactured by: Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Diego, CA 92121. NDC: 65250-266-20, — Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Sources
- NDC Directory (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drugs@FDA (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug labeling (SPL, openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug recall enforcement reports (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 27, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) 2026 — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), data.medicaid.gov, list of November 4, 2026, retrieved November 7, 2026
Which names get a brand page: a name the NDC Directory lists for a medicine, held by one company (the FDA application holder, or the company named on most of its products), that is not just a description, and that is not the only product of its medicine.