Dexmedetomidine in the Treatment of Agitation Associated With Bipolar Disorder

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male and female patients between the ages of 18 to 75 years, inclusive. 2. Patients who have met DSM-5 criteria for bipolar I or II disorder. 3. Patients who are judged to be clinically agitated at Screening and Baseline with a total score of ≥ 14 on the 5 items (poor impulse control, tension, hostility, uncooperativeness, and excitement) comprising the PANSS Excited Component (PEC). 4. Patients who have a score of ≥ 4 on at least 1 of the 5 items on the PEC at Baseline. 5. Patients who read, understand and provide written informed consent. 6. Patients who are in good general health prior to study participation as determined by a detailed medical history, physical examination, 12-lead ECG with rhythm strip, blood chemistry profile, hematology, urinalysis, and in the opinion of the Principal Investigator. 7. Participants who agree to use a medically acceptable and effective birth control method Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with agitation caused by acute intoxication, including positive identification of alcohol by breathalyzer or drugs of abuse (with the exception of THC) during urine screening. 2. Use of benzodiazepines or other hypnotics or oral or short-acting intramuscular antipsychotic drugs in the 4 hours before study treatment. 3. Treatment with alpha-1 noradrenergic blockers (terazosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin, alfuzosin, or prazosin) or other prohibited medications. 4. Patients who are judged to be at significant risk of suicide. 5. Female patients who have a positive pregnancy test at screening or are breastfeeding. 6. Patients who have hydrocephalus, seizure disorder, or history of significant head trauma, stroke, transient ischemic attack, subarachnoid bleeding, brain tumor, encephalopathy, meningitis, Parkinson's disease or focal neurological findings. 7. History of syncope or other syncopal attacks, current evidence of hypovolemia, orthostatic hypotension. 8. Patients with laboratory or ECG abnormalities considered clinically significant by the investigator. 9. Patients with serious or unstable medical illnesses. 10. Patients who have received an investigational drug within 30 days prior to the current agitation episode. 11. Patients who are considered by the investigator, for any reason, to be an unsuitable candidate for receiving DEX.