SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* EMIGH JAMES F (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O ACURA PHARMACUTICALS, INC. 616 N. NORTH COURT, SUITE 120 (Street) PALATINE IL 60067 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC [ ACUR ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) VP Corporate Development
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/27/2012
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	01/27/2012		M		6,225	A	$1.3	177,450(1)	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Common Stock	$1.3	01/27/2012		M			6,225	01/01/2011(2)	12/31/2014(2)	Common Stock	6,225	(3)	12,450	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Amount of securities include 77,750 Restricted Stock Units held by Reporting Person. Absent a change of control, shares of common stock will be distributed in exchange for Restricted Stock Units (after payment of $.01 par value per share) in two equal installments on January 1st of each of 2013 and 2014. An additional 38,750 Restricted Stock Units, which were previously included in Reporting Person's holdings were exchanged for shares of the Issuer as of 1/1/2012.

2. Option was exercsiable with respect to 6,225 shares commencing January 1, 2011, and with respect to 6,225 shares commencing January 1, 2012. Remaining portion of option (with respect to 12,450 shares) is exercisable (absent a change of control) in two equal installments commencing on January 1 of each of 2013 and 2014, and each installment must be exercised in the year in which it first becomes exercisable.

3. Not Applicable

Remarks:

	/s/ James Emigh	01/30/2012
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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