Philadelphia, PA Clinical Trials Report — July 2026

Philadelphia participants should act now if they are considering a study scheduled to close soon: 91 recruiting trials are expected to close within the next 90 days, including 13 that accept healthy volunteers. Philadelphia currently has 1,844 recruiting trials across 573 research facilities, giving patients and volunteers a broad local selection but limited time in some studies.

July brought 21 new trial openings, down from 34 in May. The city’s recent monthly totals were 47 in February, 46 in March, 24 in April, 31 in May, and 34 in June. Four of July’s new trials accept healthy volunteers, while 180 healthy-volunteer studies are recruiting in Philadelphia overall.

Closing-soon studies create the most immediate opportunities

People with cancer, prostate cancer, stroke, atopic dermatitis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or major depressive disorder should review local listings promptly. Enrollment can end before a projected closing date if a study reaches its participant target.

• Cancer (4 closing trials)
• Prostate cancer (4 trials)
• Stage IV prostate cancer, AJCC v8 (2 trials)
• Metastatic prostate carcinoma (2 trials)
• Stroke (2 trials)
• Atopic dermatitis (2 trials)
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy (2 trials)
• Geriatric assessment (2 trials)
• Lung cancer (2 trials)
• Major depressive disorder (2 trials)

The closing-soon group includes 13 studies accepting healthy volunteers. Eligibility may depend on age, sex, medications, prior diagnoses, and the ability to attend multiple visits. Healthy adults should contact study teams soon rather than waiting until the final weeks of enrollment.

New Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies at Philadelphia sites

Several July openings are large, late-stage or otherwise notable studies. Drug trials lead the month with 9 new openings, followed by other study types with 6, biological studies with 4, and behavioral and procedure studies with 3 each. The mix includes academic and industry research, with 14 studies categorized as other and 7 industry-sponsored.

• NCT07734649 is a Sanofi Phase 1/2 vaccine study for adults aged 60 and older. It will evaluate an RSV and human metapneumovirus vaccine candidate in a planned population of 2,400 participants.
• NCT07684820 is a Phase 2 Expedition Therapeutics study comparing EXPD-101/FXS7553 with placebo in people with COPD. The study plans to enroll 600 participants over 52 weeks of treatment.
• NCT07702578 is a Phase 3 TScan Therapeutics study of T-cell receptor-engineered donor T cells for people undergoing allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Planned enrollment is 310 participants.
• NCT07718802, sponsored by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, compares observation with surgical intervention for asymptomatic kidney stones in children and adults. The study plans to enroll 1,658 participants.
• NCT07687238, sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco, studies active assistance connecting hospitalized children and their families with social and economic support services. Planned enrollment is 1,880 participants.
• NCT07696338 is the REACT trial of early airway-clearance therapies for people with cystic fibrosis. It compares approaches involving hypertonic saline and dornase alfa and plans to enroll 405 participants.

Other new Philadelphia categories include acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anxiety and depression, bladder cancer, brain tumors, brainstem glioma, breast cancer, and studies involving bed rest. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine each sponsor 2 of the new local trials.

Where Philadelphia has the most research activity

The University of Pennsylvania is the city’s largest listed research hub, with 317 recruiting trials. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia follows with 278. These institutions offer especially strong access to pediatric research, cancer studies, transplantation, neurology, respiratory conditions, and other specialty areas.

• University of Pennsylvania (317 trials)
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (278 trials)
• Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (118 trials)
• Fox Chase Cancer Center (109 trials)
• Thomas Jefferson University (94 trials)
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (81 trials)
• Research Site (47 trials)
• Temple University Hospital (40 trials)
• Temple University (37 trials)
• University of Pennsylvania/Abramson Cancer Center (33 trials)
• The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (31 trials)
• Jefferson Torresdale Hospital (25 trials)

Because several entries are affiliated hospitals or separately listed departments, people should check the exact study location when contacting a research team. Penn and Abramson sites are particularly relevant for cancer and academic medical research, Fox Chase is a major oncology destination, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia provides extensive pediatric access.

Healthy volunteers and eligibility this month

Four of July’s 21 new trials accept healthy volunteers. Nine new studies include children, one is female-only, two are male-only, and 16 include older adults. The Sanofi vaccine study NCT07734649 is a clear opportunity for adults aged 60 and older who may not have the condition being studied.

New research is sponsored by a range of organizations, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine, Duke University, Expedition Therapeutics, ML Bio Solutions, the n-Lorem Foundation, Northwestern University, and individual academic investigators. Patients with time-sensitive diagnoses and healthy volunteers considering paid or participation-based research should confirm eligibility, travel requirements, compensation, and visit schedules directly with each study team.

Other Pennsylvania cities to consider

Philadelphia has substantially more recruiting activity than the other Pennsylvania locations listed in the current data, but participants willing to travel can also search in Pittsburgh (13 trials), DuBois (2), and Easton, Elkins Park, Gordonville, Hershey, Lebanon, and Pittburgh, with 1 trial each. Nearby options may be useful when a local study has strict eligibility requirements or closes before screening is completed.

With 21 new openings in July and 91 studies approaching their projected closing windows, Philadelphia’s research pipeline remains active even as new-trial volume has eased from earlier months. Checking local sites early in August may reveal additional opportunities before summer enrollment deadlines pass.