Chicago, IL Clinical Trials Report — June 2026

For Chicagoans considering participation in clinical research, June 2026 presents a critical window of opportunity, with a significant number of trials nearing their enrollment deadlines. Across Chicago, IL, a total of 2,002 clinical trials are currently recruiting across 680 research facilities, offering diverse avenues for contributing to medical science.

Act Now: Trials Closing Soon in Chicago

Time is of the essence for many studies, as 141 clinical trials are slated to conclude within the next 90 days. This urgency is particularly relevant for healthy volunteers, as 22 of these rapidly closing studies are still actively seeking participants without specific health conditions. These trials offer a chance to contribute to medical advancements before their enrollment windows close.

Patients managing specific health conditions also face impending deadlines to join research. Trials focused on various conditions are among those with limited time remaining for enrollment. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Knee osteoarthritis (3 trials)
• Breast cancer (3 trials)
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy (3 trials)
• Major depressive disorder (2 trials)
• Leukemia (2 trials)
• Lupus nephritis (2 trials)
• Hypertension (2 trials)
• Anxiety (2 trials)
• Depression (2 trials)
• Heart failure (2 trials)

New Research Opportunities Emerge This Month

This month, Chicago saw the opening of 34 new clinical trials, a slight decrease from the 41 trials that launched in May 2026. These new studies expand the city's robust research landscape, bringing fresh opportunities for participation.

June brings several high-profile new trials to Chicago, including significant Phase 3 studies from major sponsors. These trials offer participants the chance to engage with cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic approaches across a range of health challenges.

• Gasherbrum Bio, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Structure Therapeutics) is initiating a notable Phase 3 study, NCT07654361, "Efficacy and Safety of Aleniglipron in Participants With Obesity or Overweight With a Weight-Related Comorbidity (ACCOMPLISH-1)." This pivotal, multicenter, global, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study aims for 3,600 participants to investigate the long-term efficacy, safety, and tolerability of aleniglipron once daily.
• Kallyope Inc. is sponsoring two Phase 3 studies for migraine treatment: NCT07645924, "A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Elismetrep (K-304) in the Acute Treatment of Migraine," seeking 1,800 participants, and NCT07674654, "A Long-Term Safety Study of Elismetrep (K-304) in the Acute Treatment of Migraine," with 1,000 participants. Both evaluate the safety and efficacy of elismetrep.
• NYU Langone Health is sponsoring NCT07656584, "Implementation of Communication Disability Collection and Accommodations in Primary Care Settings," a multi-methods-multi-site study involving 126,870 participants. This research aims to adapt and evaluate strategies to help primary care clinics document patients' communication disability and accommodation needs in electronic health records.
• Convergent Genomics, Inc. is leading NCT07673016, "Specimen Collection for Validation of UroAmp: A Next Generation Sequencing Platform for Detection and Surveillance of Bladder Cancer." This prospective, multicenter observational study will collect urine and tumor biospecimens and associated clinical data from 2,500 patients undergoing evaluation, treatment, or surveillance for urothelial carcinoma.
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center is sponsoring NCT07674758, "Modeling Mortality in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Cardiomyopathy: Identification of Surrogate Outcome Measures for DMD Drug Trials," seeking 1,000 participants to better understand heart dysfunction in Duchenne and Becker Muscular dystrophy.

New trials this month are exploring a range of conditions, with the most frequent being obesity (3 trials), enlarged prostate (bph) (2 trials), overweight (2 trials), and chronic pain (2 trials). Drug trials account for the largest share of new studies, with 13 new drug trials, followed by 11 "OTHER" type trials and 4 device trials.

Chicago's Leading Research Hubs

Chicago is home to some of the nation's leading research institutions, which consistently run a high volume of clinical trials. These facilities are key destinations for individuals seeking to participate in medical research:

• Northwestern University (342 trials)
• University of Chicago (174 trials)
• Rush University Medical Center (133 trials)
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (103 trials)
• University of Illinois (96 trials)
• University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center (94 trials)
• University of Chicago Medical Center (93 trials)
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital (84 trials)
• University of Illinois at Chicago (63 trials)
• Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (49 trials)

These institutions offer a broad spectrum of research, from general medical studies at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, to specialized care at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital and the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Opportunities for Healthy Volunteers and Diverse Participants

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute to research. A total of 7 of the 34 new trials launched this month are actively seeking healthy volunteers. Across Chicago, a total of 236 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research.

Participation in clinical trials is open to a diverse range of individuals. Of the new trials launched this month, 30 include older adults, ensuring that senior populations have ample opportunity to contribute to medical science. Additionally, 5 new trials include children, 2 are female-only, and 3 are male-only. Academic institutions continue to play a vital role in Chicago's research ecosystem, with Northwestern University (7 trials), University of Illinois at Chicago (4 trials), and University of Chicago (3 trials) sponsoring the most new studies. Industry sponsors like Kallyope Inc. (2 trials), Eli Lilly and Company (2 trials), and Novo Nordisk A/S (2 trials) are also driving significant research efforts.

Expanding Your Search: Nearby Illinois Options

While Chicago offers a vast array of clinical trial opportunities, individuals may also find options in nearby communities within Illinois. Cities with active trials include Evanston (4 trials), Skokie (4 trials), Grayslake (2 trials), Flossmoor (2 trials), Naperville (2 trials), Moline (1 trial), Mount Prospect (1 trial), and Niles (1 trial).

As we move through June, Chicago's robust research community will continue to drive medical innovation, offering diverse opportunities for individuals to contribute to the future of healthcare.