Chicago, IL Clinical Trials Report — July 2026

Chicago participants should act quickly if they match a study in stroke, schizophrenia, cancer, lupus nephritis, overactive bladder, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, depression, or anxiety. 115 recruiting trials are expected to close within the next 90 days, including 21 that accept healthy volunteers. Enrollment can end earlier if a study reaches its target, so people who qualify should contact the research site promptly.

Chicago currently has 1,994 recruiting trials across 689 research facilities. Researchers opened 39 new studies in July, slightly fewer than the 40 that opened in June and the 40 reported for May. The city remains one of Illinois’s largest centers for clinical research, with options ranging from university-led behavioral studies to late-stage drug trials sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies.

Closing-soon studies create the most immediate opportunities

The conditions with the most trials approaching their projected closing dates are:

• Stroke (3 trials)
• Schizophrenia (2 trials)
• Breast cancer screening (2 trials)
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (2 trials)
• Lupus nephritis (2 trials)
• Overactive bladder, or OAB (2 trials)
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy (2 trials)
• Depression (2 trials)
• Endometrial cancer (2 trials)
• Anxiety (2 trials)

Healthy volunteers have a substantial local pool to consider: 234 recruiting trials in Chicago currently accept healthy participants, and 9 of July’s new studies include healthy volunteers. The 21 closing-soon studies with healthy-volunteer eligibility deserve particular attention from people without a diagnosed condition, especially those who can complete screening and study visits soon.

Major sponsors open Phase 3 opportunities

Drug studies led the July openings with 14 trials, followed by other study types (9) and behavioral research (7). Devices and biological products accounted for 3 studies each. Several large Phase 3 studies from Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Novo Nordisk stand out:

• NCT07684235 is Amgen’s Phase 3 extension study of maridebart cafraglutide, also called MARITIME-1-EXTENSION, for people with obesity or overweight. The study plans to enroll 3,200 participants and evaluates long-term efficacy, safety, and tolerability after an earlier clinical study.
• NCT07691970 is an AstraZeneca Phase 3 rollover study for participants who completed a previous study of anifrolumab, or Saphnelo, and benefited from continued treatment. Planned enrollment is 1,072 participants, with continued access available only to eligible participants from a parent study.
• NCT07720271 is Novo Nordisk’s Phase 3 AMAZE 9 study of once-daily zenagamtide tablets for people with excess body weight. The trial plans to enroll 950 participants and compares zenagamtide with placebo.
• NCT07720284 is an AstraZeneca Phase 3 study comparing dato-DXd plus rilvegostomig with standard care for adults with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial cancer after surgery. Planned enrollment is 915 participants.
• NCT07735637 is AstraZeneca’s Phase 3 DURGA-6 study, comparing AZD0120 with autologous stem-cell transplantation in transplant-eligible participants with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The study expects 750 participants.

Other new Chicago studies address multiple sclerosis, obesity, overweight, preterm conditions, behavioral economics, anorexia nervosa, Alzheimer’s disease, brainstem glioma, and brain tumors. NCT07701161, sponsored by Neurogen Biomarking LLC, is developing a home blood test for p-tau217 in people with and without Alzheimer’s disease. It plans to enroll 1,000 participants and compares samples collected with the Tasso device against standard venipuncture.

Northwestern and Chicago universities offer the broadest access

Northwestern University is Chicago’s largest listed research hub, with 333 recruiting trials. The University of Chicago follows with 175, and Rush University Medical Center has 138. These institutions provide access across cancer, neurology, metabolic health, psychiatry, pediatrics, and other specialties.

• Northwestern University (333 trials)
• University of Chicago (175 trials)
• Rush University Medical Center (138 trials)
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (98 trials)
• University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center (96 trials)
• University of Chicago Medical Center (96 trials)
• University of Illinois (96 trials)
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital (83 trials)
• University of Illinois at Chicago (61 trials)
• Research Site (50 trials)
• Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (49 trials)

Lurie Children’s Hospital is especially relevant for families, while the University of Chicago and its cancer-affiliated sites offer concentrated oncology opportunities. Northwestern, Rush, and the University of Illinois network provide broad choices for adults with neurological, psychiatric, cardiovascular, metabolic, and other conditions.

Who may qualify and where else to search

Among July’s new studies, 9 include children, 1 is female-only, and none is male-only. 32 include older adults. Local academic sponsors are prominent: Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago each sponsor 6 new studies, while AstraZeneca sponsors 5 and the University of Chicago sponsors 4. Overall, 25 new studies are categorized as other-sponsored or non-industry, compared with 14 industry-sponsored studies.

People willing to travel can also check Evanston, Grayslake, Gurnee, and Skokie, which each have 2 recruiting trials. Aurora, Merrionette Park, Normal, and Northfield each have 1. The number of new Chicago trials has varied during the six-month period, from 55 in February to 21 in April and 49 in May.

Patients matching a closing-soon condition and healthy volunteers seeking participation should begin screening now rather than waiting until the projected deadline. With major Chicago academic centers and national sponsors continuing to open studies, additional opportunities are likely to emerge through the rest of the summer.