PALATINE, Ill. (AP) — Acura
Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Friday it received a $20 million payment from its
partner Pfizer Inc. for work on a pain drug that received regulatory approval
in June.

Its shares climbed 34 cents, or 8.8 percent, to $4.21 in
premarket trading.

The companies collaborated on the painkiller Oxecta, which
received marketing approval on June 17. Oxecta is an immediate-release drug
that contains oxycodone, the active ingredient in OxyContin, and it is approved
for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.

Acura developed technology that is designed to make the drug
tamper-resistant, meaning it is more difficult for patients to crush or
dissolve the drug so they can use it to get high. It is also intended to
irritate the nose if snorted.

Acura reported $3.3 million in revenue in 2010, and all of
that revenue was related to Oxecta. The company recognized $1.1 million in
revenue from an upfront payment on Oxecta, and was reimbursed for $2.2 million
in research and development costs.