Maine Clinical Trials Report — July 2026

Maine residents who may qualify for a clinical trial should act now if they are considering a study that is nearing enrollment closure. 11 recruiting trials are expected to close within the next 90 days, including 3 that accept healthy volunteers. Screening can take time, and projected closing dates can change, so contacting a research site promptly may be essential.

Maine has 204 recruiting clinical trials across 28 cities and 116 research sites. The state added 3 new trials in July, up from 1 in May but below the 6 opened in April. Thirteen trials statewide currently accept healthy volunteers, giving people without a diagnosed condition a meaningful set of opportunities to explore.

Closing-soon studies span heart, lung, cancer, and eye conditions

The trials approaching closure cover a varied group of conditions rather than one dominant disease area. Patients with asthma, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, endometrial cancer, or dry age-related macular degeneration may find time-sensitive options. Other closing studies address bleeding, food insecurity, epiretinal membrane, and intraretinal hyporeflective space.

• Asthma, atrial fibrillation, bleeding, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, dry age-related macular degeneration, endometrial cancer, food insecurity, heart failure, epiretinal membrane, and intraretinal hyporeflective space — 1 closing-soon trial each
• Healthy-volunteer opportunities — 3 of the 11 closing-soon trials

Healthy adults should not assume that every study labeled “recruiting” will remain open through the summer. Of the 3 new July trials, 1 accepts healthy volunteers, while 13 recruiting studies statewide list healthy participants as eligible overall. People interested in non-treatment research should ask sites whether they are accepting volunteers now and whether compensation, travel requirements, or screening visits apply.

AbbVie opens a large Phase 2 inflammatory bowel disease study

The most substantial new July opportunity is AbbVie’s Phase 2 study NCT07697456, “Study of Advanced Therapies for the Treatment of Adult Participants With Moderately to Severely Active Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.” The study plans to enroll 2,000 adults with moderately to severely active inflammatory bowel disease.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis cause persistent inflammation in the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive system and may involve abdominal pain, diarrhea, and tiredness, among other symptoms. People with a qualifying diagnosis who are considering advanced treatment options may want to review this study quickly, particularly if they live near a participating site or can travel to one.

July’s new-trial activity is split across drug, device, and behavioral research, with 1 trial in each category. Two of the three new studies are industry-sponsored, while one is classified as other sponsorship. The named sponsors are AbbVie, Carl Zeiss Meditec-Dublin CoCe, and Ohio State University.

• NCT07697456 — AbbVie’s Phase 2 study of advanced therapies for adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; planned enrollment is 2,000.
• NCT07680244 — Carl Zeiss Meditec-Dublin CoCe’s study of PathFinder 1.0 on CIRRUS 6000 and CIRRUS 5000 systems; planned enrollment is 400.

NCT07680244 focuses on retinal imaging rather than a drug treatment. Researchers will assess how well PathFinder 1.0 detects retinal abnormalities on macular cube optical coherence tomography scans by measuring sensitivity and specificity. The study is connected with several of July’s new condition categories, including dry age-related macular degeneration, epiretinal membrane, retina disease, macular abnormalities, retinal pigment epithelium atrophy or elevation, and other retinal findings.

Portland leads July’s new openings

New trial activity is concentrated in two Maine cities. Portland added 2 of the state’s three new studies, while Orono added 1. Portland’s leading position reflects the importance of its larger medical and research infrastructure, while the Orono opening shows that opportunities are also reaching an academic setting outside the state’s largest city.

• Portland — 2 new trials
• Orono — 1 new trial

Across Maine, the 28-city footprint is broader than July’s new openings alone. The state’s 116 research sites suggest that current opportunities extend beyond the two cities that welcomed new studies this month, although the available locations can differ sharply by condition. A person with Crohn’s disease may need to search differently from someone seeking an ophthalmology or healthy-volunteer study.

Residents should search by both condition and distance from home. A trial may be recruiting statewide but have only one nearby site, and some studies may require repeated visits. Asking a research coordinator about visit frequency, transportation, and whether initial screening can occur remotely can help clarify the practical commitment before applying.

Older adults are included, but no July study is limited by sex or open to children

All three new Maine trials include older adults in their eligibility criteria. None of the new studies include children, and none are designated female-only or male-only. This makes July’s openings particularly relevant to adults, including older people considering inflammatory bowel disease or retinal research.

The three new trials opened in July represent a rise from May’s 1 new study, although activity has fluctuated during 2026. Maine recorded 2 new trials in February, 4 in March, 3 in April, 6 in May, 1 in June, and 3 in July. The changing pace means potential participants should check regularly rather than wait for a particular month or condition-specific opening.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease and retinal conditions have the clearest new July leads, while people with asthma, heart conditions, cancer, bleeding disorders, food insecurity, or eye-related diagnoses should examine the closing-soon list first. Healthy adults should also move quickly because three current studies with healthy-volunteer eligibility may have only a short enrollment window.

As Maine moves into the rest of summer, the combination of a large AbbVie Phase 2 study, new retinal technology research, and imminent closures could shift the state’s available options quickly. Checking eligibility and contacting sites in Portland, Orono, and other Maine research locations now may reveal opportunities that are no longer available later in 2026.