Missouri Clinical Trials Report — July 2026

Missouri residents who may qualify for a clinical trial should act soon: 90 recruiting studies are expected to close within the next 90 days. Eighteen of these trials accept healthy volunteers, creating a limited window for people without a diagnosed condition. The largest groups of closing studies involve prostate cancer, pneumonia, breast cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, acute stress reactions or disorders, Alzheimer disease, lupus nephritis, endometrial cancer, and lymphoma.

At the same time, Missouri has 1,855 trials recruiting across 63 cities and 932 research sites. New activity slowed in July, with 21 trials opening compared with 42 in May. The decline follows 53 new trials in February, 45 in March, 36 in April, and 29 in May, before June’s increase. Prospective participants should confirm that a trial is still enrolling before arranging screening, particularly for studies nearing their projected closing date.

Closing studies create the most immediate opportunity

People with prostate cancer face the largest concentration of time-sensitive openings. Four closing-soon trials concern prostate cancer, while two each address metastatic prostate cancer, breast cancer, pneumonia, acute stress reaction, Alzheimer disease, lupus nephritis, endometrial cancer, acute stress disorder, and lymphoma.

• Prostate cancer — 4 closing-soon trials
• Pneumonia, breast cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, acute stress reaction, Alzheimer disease, lupus nephritis, endometrial cancer, acute stress disorder, and lymphoma — 2 each

Healthy adults have 18 closing-soon studies to review, although eligibility can vary widely. Some may require a specific age range, sex, lifestyle, medical history, or willingness to undergo procedures. Missouri has 186 healthy-volunteer trials recruiting statewide overall, but only 3 of the 21 new July trials accept healthy volunteers. That makes the closing studies especially relevant to people seeking paid or non-treatment research opportunities.

July brings major Phase 2 and Phase 3 drug studies

Fourteen of Missouri’s new trials are drug studies, making medications the dominant intervention type. Four device trials, three biological studies, and one each involving behavioral research, diagnostic testing, and another intervention make up the remainder. The new pipeline includes major industry sponsors as well as university-led research, with Washington University School of Medicine sponsoring 5 new studies and AstraZeneca sponsoring 3.

• NCT07720271 — Novo Nordisk’s Phase 3 AMAZE 9 study of daily zenagamtide tablets for people with excess body weight. The study plans to enroll 950 participants and compares zenagamtide with placebo.
• NCT07720284 — AstraZeneca’s Phase 3 study of Dato-DXd plus rilvegostomig versus standard care for adults with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial cancer after surgery. Planned enrollment is 915 participants.
• NCT07680790 — Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Phase 3 IZABRIGHT-Lung02 study for previously untreated, locally advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. It plans to enroll 850 participants.
• NCT07686263 — Karuna Therapeutics, a Bristol Myers Squibb company, Phase 3 relapse-prevention study evaluating KarXT in schizophrenia, with 472 planned participants.

The Novo Nordisk study may draw attention from adults seeking a medication-based approach to weight management, while the AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb studies offer potential options for people with specific cancer diagnoses and treatment histories. These are substantial international studies, so Missouri residents may be able to inquire about local sites even when the overall trial includes participants elsewhere.

Several university and specialty studies also stand out. Washington University School of Medicine is sponsoring NCT07731256, a Phase 2 study of semaglutide for chronic lower back pain involving 250 participants. The study examines whether a GLP-1 medication may influence pain through weight reduction and other mechanisms. The University of Missouri-Columbia is sponsoring NCT07728175, a Phase 1 study of sirolimus in people who carry the ApoE4 genetic variant without symptoms, exploring possible effects relevant to Alzheimer disease research and enrolling 225 participants.

Other notable openings include NCT07696338, the REACT cystic fibrosis study of airway-clearance therapies, with 405 planned participants, and NCT07680244, a diagnostic study sponsored by Carl Zeiss Meditec-Dublin CoCe that evaluates PathFinder 1.0 on CIRRUS 6000 and CIRRUS 5000 systems for detecting retinal abnormalities. Capsicure, LLC, Eidos Therapeutics, a BridgeBio company, and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute also appear among July’s sponsors.

New conditions range from heart disease to eye disorders

July’s new trials cover a notably varied group of conditions rather than one dominant disease area. The list includes amyloid cardiomyopathy and amyloidosis, ApoE4-positive status, breast cancer, chronic lower back pain, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, cystic fibrosis, diabetic foot ulcer, dry age-related macular degeneration, and epiretinal membrane.

• Amyloid cardiomyopathy, amyloidosis, ApoE4-positive status, breast cancer, chronic lower back pain, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, cystic fibrosis, diabetic foot ulcer, dry age-related macular degeneration, and epiretinal membrane — 1 new trial each

This mix gives patients several reasons to search beyond the most visible cancer studies. People with chronic pain, inherited or risk-related conditions, vision problems, cystic fibrosis, and diabetic complications may find newly opened research that was not available in earlier months. The one female-only and one male-only study may also create more targeted opportunities, while 4 new trials include children.

St. Louis and Kansas City dominate access to new studies

New trial activity is concentrated in Missouri’s two largest metropolitan research centers. St. Louis recorded 14 of the 21 new trials, while Kansas City added 6. City of Saint Peters and Columbia each recorded 1.

• St. Louis — 14 new trials
• Kansas City — 6
• City of Saint Peters — 1
• Columbia — 1

The distribution shows a strong metropolitan concentration, with St. Louis alone accounting for most July openings. Kansas City provides a second major access point, while Columbia and the St. Peters area add smaller pockets of activity. Because the state has recruiting sites in 63 cities overall, residents outside these hubs should still search by condition and travel distance; a trial’s main listing may include multiple Missouri locations even when only one site is currently screening.

Who should take action now?

Patients with prostate cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, endometrial cancer, Alzheimer disease, lupus nephritis, pneumonia, or acute stress-related conditions should review closing-soon studies first. Healthy adults should also check the 18 closing trials that accept them, since screening, consent, and baseline testing can take time. Parents of eligible children and older adults should search early as well: 19 new July trials include older adults.

Missouri’s sponsor mix reflects both academic strength and industry investment. Washington University School of Medicine leads the month’s new openings, while AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk, Karuna Therapeutics, and other companies contribute large Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies. With enrollment changing through the summer, residents should continue checking St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, and nearby sites as August brings new openings and projected closures.