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Disease

Restless Legs Syndrome

Late-stage therapeutic developmentEmerging research
MeSHRestless Legs Syndrome
1
Publications
15
Clinical trials
12
Associated genes
4
Related proteins
2003
Latest publication
Current focus
D(3) dopamine biologyD(4) dopamine biologyTherapeutic development
Latest activity
beta

Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.

What's happening now

An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.

Executive briefingUpdating summary…Momentum: Low
Key developments
  • 1 clinical trial expected to report results, the earliest in Q2 2027.
Upcoming Milestones
Clinical Milestones1View
Results expected 1
Activity timeline1

Therapeutic landscape

Therapies with a regulatory footing for this condition, alongside the wider set of agents co-studied with it in the literature.

Approved & established therapies
Pramipexoleapproved

Approval — Pramipexole Teva is indicated for treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parki… (2008)

Rotigotineapproved

Approval — Parkinson's disease: Neupro is indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of e… (2006)

Clinical trials

12 sponsors · 1 new · 0 completed in the last 12 months (net +1)

The current development programme across all trial phases.

Clinical programme
15
All trials
3
Active
13
Late-stage
6
Completed
Late-stage studies

Treating Leg Symptoms in Women With X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy: A Key to Improving Sleep and Gait Performance

Phase 4 · Active, not recruiting · Massachusetts General Hospital

Efficacy of Suvorexant in Patients With Effectively Treated Restless Legs Syndrome and Persistent Chronic Insomnia: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

Phase 4 · Completed · Massachusetts General Hospital

DIalysis Symptom COntrol-Restless Legs Syndrome Trial (DISCO-RLS Trial): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Phase 3 · Completed · Population Health Research Institute

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Multicenter Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Pregabalin in Willis-Ekbom Disease/Restless Legs Syndrome

Phase 3 · Completed · Seoul National University Hospital

Gabapentin Enacarbil Post-marketing Clinical Study A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group Study in Subjects With Restless Legs Syndrome.

Phase 4 · Completed · Astellas Pharma Inc

A Phase 3 Multi-Center, Placebo-Controlled, Double Blind, 3-Armed Parallel Group, Comparative Study of SPM 962 4.5 and 6.75 mg/Day to Investigate Superiority to Placebo in Patients With Restless Legs Syndrome

Phase 3 · Completed · Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Recently completed

Efficacy of Suvorexant in Patients With Effectively Treated Restless Legs Syndrome and Persistent Chronic Insomnia: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

Phase 4 · Completed · Massachusetts General Hospital

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Multicenter Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Pregabalin in Willis-Ekbom Disease/Restless Legs Syndrome

Phase 3 · Completed · Seoul National University Hospital

DIalysis Symptom COntrol-Restless Legs Syndrome Trial (DISCO-RLS Trial): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Phase 3 · Completed · Population Health Research Institute

Gabapentin Enacarbil Post-marketing Clinical Study A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group Study in Subjects With Restless Legs Syndrome.

Phase 4 · Completed · Astellas Pharma Inc

A Double-Blinded, Multi-Center, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Injectafer (Ferric Carboxymaltose) in the Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Phase 3 · Completed · American Regent, Inc.

A Phase 3 Multi-Center, Placebo-Controlled, Double Blind, 3-Armed Parallel Group, Comparative Study of SPM 962 4.5 and 6.75 mg/Day to Investigate Superiority to Placebo in Patients With Restless Legs Syndrome

Phase 3 · Completed · Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Regulatory timeline

Drug regulatory events matched to this condition by indication — EMA.

First approvals
2008emaApproval — Pramipexole· Pramipexole Teva is indicated for treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, alone (without levodopa) or in combination with levodopa, i.e. over the course of the disease, through to late stages when the effect of levodopa wears off or becomes inconsistent and fluctuations of the therapeutic effect occur (end-of-dose or 'on-off' fluctuations). Pramipexole Teva is indicated in adults for symptomatic treatment of moderate to severe idiopathic Restless Legs Syndrome in doses up to 0.54 mg of base (0.75 mg of salt) (see section 4.2). source ↗
2008emaApproval — Pramipexole· Oprymea is indicated for treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, alone (without levodopa) or in combination with levodopa, i.e. over the course of the disease, through to late stages when the effect of levodopa wears off or becomes inconsistent and fluctuations of the therapeutic effect occur (end of dose or "on off" fluctuations). Oprymea is indicated in adults for symptomatic treatment of moderate to severe idiopathic Restless Legs Syndrome in doses up to 0.54 mg of base (0.75 mg of salt) (see section 4.2). source ↗
2006emaApproval — Rotigotine· Parkinson's disease: Neupro is indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of early-stage idiopathic Parkinson's disease as monotherapy (i.e. without levodopa) or in combination with levodopa, i.e. over the course of the disease, through to late stages when the effect of levodopa wears off or becomes inconsistent and fluctuations of the therapeutic effect occur (end of dose or 'on-off' fluctuations). Restless-legs syndrome: Neupro is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of moderate to severe idiopathic restless-legs syndrome in adults. source ↗
1998emaApproval — Pramipexole· Mirapexin is indicated for treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, alone (without levodopa) or in combination with levodopa, i.e. over the course of the disease, through to late stages when the effect of levodopa wears off or becomes inconsistent and fluctuations of the therapeutic effect occur (end-of-dose or 'on-off' fluctuations). Mirapexin is indicated for symptomatic treatment of moderate to severe idiopathic restless-legs syndrome in dosages up to 0.54 mg of base (0.75 mg of salt). source ↗
1997emaApproval — Pramipexole· Sifrol is indicated for treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, alone (without levodopa) or in combination with levodopa, i.e. over the course of the disease, though to late stages when the effect of levodopa wears off or becomes inconsistent and fluctuations of the therapeutic effect occur (end-of-dose or 'on-off' fluctuations). Sifrol is indicated for symptomatic treatment of moderate to severe idiopathic restless-legs syndrome in dosages up to 0.54 mg of base (0.75 mg of salt). source ↗

European Medicines Agency (CC BY 4.0). Events are matched to this condition by drug indication text — approvals/updates for drugs indicated for it, not disease-specific acts.

Research activity

1 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Recent publications

The role of actigraphy in the study of sleep and circadian rhythms.

Sleep · 2003 · 1,870 cites
Leading journals1
  • Sleep1
Leading researchers6
  • Alessi C1
  • Ancoli-Israel S1
  • Chambers M1
  • Cole R1
  • Moorcroft W1
  • Pollak CP1
Affiliations (unnormalised)1
  • University of California1

Associated genes

12 matches

Genes associated with this disease in the canonical knowledge graph (Open Targets evidence). Number shows the association score.

DRD30.60DRD40.60MEIS10.55KLF120.49TOX30.49BTBD90.48CNTNAP50.45CITED10.44ASPSCR10.44SEMA6D0.44LMO10.43CCDC1480.42

Disease biology

4 matches

Proteins whose encoding gene is associated with this disease, reached through the canonical gene→disease graph. Number shows the gene's association score.

D(3) dopamine receptorvia DRD30.60D(4) dopamine receptorvia DRD40.60Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptidevia ADCYAP10.30Catechol O-methyltransferasevia COMT0.26

Reference

Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.

Defined in MeSH

A disorder characterized by aching or burning sensations in the lower and rarely the upper extremities that occur prior to sleep or may awaken the patient from sleep.

Identifiers
MeSHRestless Legs Syndrome
References & data sources
  • Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
  • Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
  • Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
  • Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.