Impax commences trial for investigational RLS treatment

HAYWARD, Calif. — The branded-drug division of Impax Labs plans to conduct early-stage clinical studies of an investigational drug for restless leg syndrome, the company said Tuesday.

Impax Pharmaceuticals, as the division is known, said it filed an investigational new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration for IPX159 and started a phase-1 study.

The company will test several formulations of the drug on healthy volunteer subjects and start a phase-2b study in RLS patients in fourth quarter 2011 after it finds the proper formulation, based on results of the phase-1 study.