Balanced Pharma Incorporated (BPI) announced Tuesday its acquisition of rights to Enduracaine Dental, a new non-opioid injectable pain relief drug intended for post-surgical use in dentistry. The company aims to introduce the product into the U.S. market, where non-opioid pain relief for dental surgeries, including wisdom tooth extraction, is valued at $1.4 billion.
Enduracaine Dental is designed to provide up to three days of pain relief, reduce opioid reliance, and address key limitations of current options. Packaged in standard dental cartridges, it eliminates the need for reconstitution or refrigeration and boasts a two-year shelf life—significant improvements over existing products.
BPI’s acquisition comes amid the U.S. opioid crisis. Currently, 94% of wisdom tooth extraction patients receive opioid prescriptions, contributing to a heightened risk of dependency. BPI CEO Dr. Scott Keadle, a retired dentist, said the company’s goal is to help dental professionals reduce opioid prescriptions. “If we can provide doctors with a safe, non-opioid drug offering three days of pain relief in a practical dental cartridge, that’s an absolute win,” Keadle said.
Enduracaine’s formulation combines tetracaine, lidocaine, and epinephrine, originally launched in 2023 by Ventis Pharma as a kit requiring refrigeration and manual preparation. Usability challenges, including incompatibility with standard dental syringes, have hindered its wider adoption. BPI’s reformulation addresses these issues, making Enduracaine Dental more accessible for dental surgeons.
Ventis Pharma Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Lou Stanfield expressed optimism about the partnership, anticipating rapid adoption within the dental community. “The Ventis drug delivered in the BPI cartridge is just what the doctor ordered,” Stanfield said.
Enduracaine Dental remains under development and has not yet received FDA approval, though BPI expects to release it within the next 12 months.