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                  <div align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Press
                    Release dated June 22, 2005 Announcing Completion of $1 Million
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      to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
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      duly authorized.</font></div>
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            <td width="50%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;</font></td>
            <td width="1%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;</font></td>
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            <td colspan="2"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><strong>ACURA
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            <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;<br>&#160;</font></td>
            <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;<br>&#160;</font></td>
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            <td>&#160;</td>
            <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">By:&#160;&#160;</font></td>
            <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">/s/&#160;Peter
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          </tr>
          <tr valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">
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            <td><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Vice
              President &amp; Chief Financial Officer</font></td>
          </tr>
          <tr valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">
            <td colspan="2"><font size="2">Date:</font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 27pt">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">June
              22, 2005</font></td>
            <td>&#160;</td>
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      INDEX</u></strong></font></div>
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                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><u>Number</u></font></div>
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                <div align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">99.1</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="justify" valign="middle" width="90%">
                <div align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Press
                  Release dated June 22, 2005 Announcing Completion of $1 Million
                  Bridge
                  Financing. </font></div>
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC", "cik": "0000786947", "assigned-sic": "2834", "irs-number": "110853640", "state-of-incorporation": "NY", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-10113", "film-number": "05912201"}, "business-address": {"street1": "616 N. NORTH COURT, SUITE 120", "city": "PALATINE", "state": "IL", "zip": "60067", "phone": "847-705-7709"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "616 N. NORTH COURT, SUITE 120", "street2": ".", "city": "PALATINE", "state": "IL", "zip": "60067"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "HALSEY DRUG CO INC/NEW", "date-changed": "19920703"}}
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
June
      22, 2005
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 of
                Incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer 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 are 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):
o
›
Written
      communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
      230.425)
o
›
Soliciting
      material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17CFR
      240.14a-12)
o
›
Pre-commencement
      communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act
      (17CFR240.14d-2(b))
o
›
Pre-commencement
      communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17CFR
      240.13e-
4(c))
Item
      8.01
Other
      Events
On
      June
      22, 2005, Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") issued a press release
      announcing completion of bridge financing in the principal amount of $1 million
      pursuant to the terms of that certain Loan Agreement by and among the Company
      and
Essex
      Woodlands Health Venture V, L.P., Care Capital Investments II, L.P., Care
      Capital Offshore Investments II, L.P., Galen Partners III, L.P., Galen Partners
      International III, L.P., and Galen Employee Fund III, L.P.
,
      dated
      June 22, 2005. A copy of the Company's press release is attached as Exhibit
      99.1
      hereto.
Item
      9.01
Financial
      Statements and Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number
Description
99.1
Press
                    Release dated June 22, 2005 Announcing Completion of $1 Million
                    Bridge
                    Financing.
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
Vice
              President & Chief Financial Officer
Date:
June
              22, 2005
EXHIBIT
      INDEX
Exhibit
Number
Description
99.1
Press
                  Release dated June 22, 2005 Announcing Completion of $1 Million
                  Bridge
                  Financing.