JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioLineRx Ltd. (TASE:BLRX), a clinical stage drug development company, announced today the initiation of a Phase 2b clinical trial to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of BL-1020, a GABA-enhanced antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia. In this six-week, double-blind, parallel group study, patients will be randomized to one of four arms, receiving a low dose or high dose of BL-1020; risperidone, an approved atypical schizophrenia drug; or placebo. The study will also include a blinded 6 weeks continuation phase in which patients who chose to continue are expected to receive active drugs. It is expected to include 360 schizophrenia patients at approximately 40 sites in the U.S., Europe, India and Israel and is being conducted under a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug (IND) application.