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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">UNITED STATES</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in"><B>____________</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>&nbsp;</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">FORM 8-K</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>&nbsp;</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>CURRENT REPORT </B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>Securities Exchange Act Of 1934</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>&nbsp;</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>April 2, 2012</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>___________________________________________________________</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>&nbsp;</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 18pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in
Charter)</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>___________________________________________________________</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>&nbsp;</B></P>

<TABLE CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0" STYLE="width: 100%; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; border-collapse: collapse">
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
    <TD STYLE="width: 25%; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">State of New York</TD>
    <TD STYLE="width: 5%; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="width: 25%; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">1-10113</TD>
    <TD STYLE="width: 5%; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="width: 25%; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">11-0853640</TD></TR>
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">(State of Other Jurisdiction</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">(Commission File Number)</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">(I.R.S. Employer</TD></TR>
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">of Incorporation)</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; text-align: center">Identification Number)</TD></TR>
</TABLE>


<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">616 N. North Court, Suite 120</P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in">Palatine, Illinois
60067</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>(847) 705-7709</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">(Registrant&rsquo;s telephone number, including
area code)</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">Check the appropriate box below if the
Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions
(see General Instruction A.2. below):</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Symbol">&rsaquo;</FONT>&#9;Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Symbol">&rsaquo;</FONT>&#9;Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17CFR 240.14a-12)</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Symbol">&rsaquo;</FONT>&#9;Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17CFR240.14d-2(b))</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><FONT STYLE="font: 10pt Symbol">&rsaquo;</FONT>&#9;Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17CFR 240.13e-&#9;4(c))&#9;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"></P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B>Item 7.01&#9;Regulation FD Disclosure.</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B>&nbsp;</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">On April 3, 2012,&nbsp;Robert B. Jones,
our Chief Executive Officer is scheduled to make a presentation about Acura at the Needham Healthcare Conference at the New York
Palace Hotel in New York, New York. Slides from the presentation are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in">Statements in the investor
slide presentation that are not strictly historical may be &ldquo;forward-looking&rdquo; statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance,
or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited
to, the ability of Pfizer (to whom we have licensed our Aversion&reg; Technology for certain opioid analgesic products in the United
States, Canada and Mexico) to successfully launch and commercialize such products, including Oxecta, the price discounting, if
any, that may be offered by Pfizer, the ability of Pfizer and the ability of other pharmaceutical companies, if any, to whom we
may license our Aversion Technology or Impede Technology, to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and commercialize products utilizing
such technologies and the market acceptance of such products, expectations regarding potential market share for our products, our
ability to enter into additional license agreements for our other product candidates, the ability to avoid infringement of patents,
trademarks and other proprietary rights of third parties and the ability of our patents to protect our products from generic competition,
and the ability to fulfill the FDA's requirements for approving our product candidates for commercial manufacturing and distribution
in the United States, including, without limitation, the adequacy of the results of the laboratory and clinical studies completed
to date and the results of laboratory and clinical studies we may complete in the future to support FDA approval of our product
candidates, the adequacy of the development program for our product candidates, including whether additional clinical studies will
be required to support FDA approval of our product candidates, changes in regulatory requirements, adverse safety findings relating
to our product candidates, whether the FDA will agree with our analysis of our clinical studies and how it may evaluate the results
of these studies or whether further studies of our product candidates will be required to support FDA approval, whether or when
we are able to obtain FDA approval of labeling for our product candidates for the proposed indications or for abuse deterrent features,
whether our product candidates will ultimately deter abuse in commercial settings and whether our Impede Technology will disrupt
the processing of pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such
as &quot;may,&quot; &quot;will,&quot; &quot;should,&quot; &quot;could,&quot; &quot;would,&quot; &quot;expects,&quot; &quot;plans,&quot;
&quot;anticipates,&quot; &quot;believes,&quot; &quot;estimates,&quot; &quot;projects,&quot; &quot;predicts,&quot; &quot;potential&quot;
and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect
to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail in our filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in"></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in"></P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in"></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B>Item 9.01&#9;Financial Statements and
Exhibits.</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" STYLE="width: 100%; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD STYLE="width: 0%"></TD><TD STYLE="width: 25%"><P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B>Exhibit</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B><U>Number</U></B></P>

</TD><TD STYLE="text-align: justify; width: 75%"><B><U>Description</U></B></TD></TR>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             <TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD>&nbsp;</TD><TD>&nbsp;</TD><TD STYLE="text-align: justify">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD>&nbsp;</TD><TD>99.1&nbsp;</TD><TD STYLE="text-align: justify">Slides from the Scheduled Presentation on April 3, 2012&nbsp;</TD></TR>
</TABLE>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0 0pt 2.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -2.5in">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center"><B>SIGNATURES</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in">Pursuant to the requirements
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
thereunto duly authorized.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; text-align: left; text-indent: 0; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 6pt">&nbsp;</P>

<TABLE BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0" STYLE="width: 100%; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif">
<TR>
    <TD STYLE="vertical-align: top">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD COLSPAN="2"><B>ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS,
INC.</B></TD></TR>
<TR>
    <TD STYLE="vertical-align: top">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD COLSPAN="2">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
<TR>
    <TD STYLE="vertical-align: top; width: 50%">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="width: 4%">By:&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="vertical-align: top; width: 46%">/s/ Peter A. Clemens</TD></TR>
<TR>
    <TD STYLE="vertical-align: top">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD>&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD STYLE="vertical-align: top; border-top: #000000 1px solid">Peter A. Clemens<BR>Senior Vice President
&amp; Chief Financial Officer</TD></TR>
</TABLE>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; text-align: left; text-indent: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 6pt">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; text-align: left; text-indent: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 6pt">Date:&#9;April 2, 2012</P>



&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"></P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"></P>

<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" STYLE="width: 100%; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD STYLE="width: 0%"></TD><TD STYLE="width: 25%"><P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B>Exhibit</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B><U>Number</U></B></P>

</TD><TD STYLE="text-align: justify; width: 75%"><B><U>Description</U></B></TD></TR>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             <TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD>&nbsp;</TD><TD>&nbsp;</TD><TD STYLE="text-align: justify">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
<TR STYLE="vertical-align: top">
<TD>&nbsp;</TD><TD>99.1&nbsp;</TD><TD STYLE="text-align: justify">Slides from the Scheduled Presentation on April 3, 2012&nbsp;</TD></TR>
</TABLE>

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549
____________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act Of 1934
April 2, 2012
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
___________________________________________________________
ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in
Charter)
___________________________________________________________
State of New York
1-10113
11-0853640
(State of Other Jurisdiction
(Commission File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation)
Identification Number)
616 N. North Court, Suite 120
Palatine, Illinois
60067
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(847) 705-7709
(Registrant's telephone number, including
area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the
Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions
(see General Instruction A.2. below):
›
Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
›
Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17CFR 240.14a-12)
›
Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17CFR240.14d-2(b))
›
Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17CFR 240.13e-	4(c))
Item 7.01	Regulation FD Disclosure.
On April 3, 2012, Robert B. Jones,
our Chief Executive Officer is scheduled to make a presentation about Acura at the Needham Healthcare Conference at the New York
Palace Hotel in New York, New York. Slides from the presentation are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Statements in the investor
slide presentation that are not strictly historical may be "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance,
or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited
to, the ability of Pfizer (to whom we have licensed our Aversion® Technology for certain opioid analgesic products in the United
States, Canada and Mexico) to successfully launch and commercialize such products, including Oxecta, the price discounting, if
any, that may be offered by Pfizer, the ability of Pfizer and the ability of other pharmaceutical companies, if any, to whom we
may license our Aversion Technology or Impede Technology, to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and commercialize products utilizing
such technologies and the market acceptance of such products, expectations regarding potential market share for our products, our
ability to enter into additional license agreements for our other product candidates, the ability to avoid infringement of patents,
trademarks and other proprietary rights of third parties and the ability of our patents to protect our products from generic competition,
and the ability to fulfill the FDA's requirements for approving our product candidates for commercial manufacturing and distribution
in the United States, including, without limitation, the adequacy of the results of the laboratory and clinical studies completed
to date and the results of laboratory and clinical studies we may complete in the future to support FDA approval of our product
candidates, the adequacy of the development program for our product candidates, including whether additional clinical studies will
be required to support FDA approval of our product candidates, changes in regulatory requirements, adverse safety findings relating
to our product candidates, whether the FDA will agree with our analysis of our clinical studies and how it may evaluate the results
of these studies or whether further studies of our product candidates will be required to support FDA approval, whether or when
we are able to obtain FDA approval of labeling for our product candidates for the proposed indications or for abuse deterrent features,
whether our product candidates will ultimately deter abuse in commercial settings and whether our Impede Technology will disrupt
the processing of pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such
as "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "expects," "plans,"
"anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "predicts," "potential"
and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect
to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail in our filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Item 9.01	Financial Statements and
Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number
Description
99.1
Slides from the Scheduled Presentation on April 3, 2012
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
thereunto duly authorized.
ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS,
INC.
By:
/s/ Peter A. Clemens
Peter A. Clemens
Senior Vice President
& Chief Financial Officer
Date:	April 2, 2012
Exhibit
Number
Description
99.1
Slides from the Scheduled Presentation on April 3, 2012