Acura Pharmaceuticals Named In Purported Class Action Securities Litigation

Palatine, IL (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ACUR - News) today announced that it and certain of its current and former executive officers have been named as defendants in a purported class action lawsuit filed on September 10, 2010 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. The complaint alleges that the Company and certain executive officers violated federal securities laws by making false or misleading statements, or failing to disclose material facts in order to make statements not misleading, during the period February 21, 2006 through April 22, 2010, relating to the Company's Acurox(R) product candidate, and that these statements artificially inflated the trading price of the Company's common stock to the detriment of shareholders who purchased shares during that time. Plaintiff seeks unspecified compensatory damages for the purported class.

Acura believes the claims are meritless and intends to defend this lawsuit vigorously.

About Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in research, development and manufacture of product candidates intended to introduce limits and impediments to abuse utilizing the Company's proprietary Aversion Technology, Impede™ Technology, and other novel technologies.

SOURCE: SOURCE: Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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