FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Brzeczko Albert W   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 Technical Affairs - APT (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., 616 N NORTH COURT 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 12/11/2017 (Street) PALATINE, IL 60067 4. If Amendment, Date 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 (City) (State) (Zip) 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

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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 Underlying Securities (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 of Derivative Security: 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

Restricted Stock Units (1)

(2)

12/11/2017

A

28,000

(3)

(3)

Common Stock

28,000

(4)

28,000

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Brzeczko Albert W C/O ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. 616 N NORTH COURT PALATINE, IL 60067			VP Technical Affairs - APT

Signatures

/s/ Albert Brzeczko		12/11/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	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).
(1)	Awarded under the Acura Pharmaceuticals Inc. 2017 Restricted Stock Unit Award Plan (the "Plan").
(2)	Par value of $.01 must be paid by Reporting Person upon exchange of Restricted Stock Units for stock.
(3)	100% of Restricted Stock Units vest on December 11, 2018 or earlier if Reporting Person's service as an employee of Issuer is terminated by Issuer without Cause (as defined in the Plan) or due to Reporting Person's death or Disability (as defined in the Plan) or a qualifying change of control occurs. Distributions in respect of vested Restricted Stock Units will be made in three equal installments on the first business day of each of January 2020, 2021, and 2022 or earlier upon a qualifying change of control which also meets certain criteria of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.
(4)	N/A

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