United States Clinical Trials Report — April 2026

Time is of the essence for thousands of clinical trial opportunities across the United States. Within the next 90 days, an impressive 2,360 clinical trials are scheduled to close their enrollment, marking a critical deadline for potential participants. For those without specific health conditions, this urgency is particularly pronounced, as 668 of these closing studies are actively seeking healthy volunteers. If you've been considering contributing to medical research, now is a pivotal moment to explore these options before they conclude.

Patients managing certain health conditions also face rapidly approaching deadlines. Research initiatives focused on a range of significant health challenges are among those winding down their recruitment efforts. Conditions with the most trials closing soon include:

• Breast cancer (40 trials)
• Depression (35 trials)
• Cancer (30 trials)
• Alzheimer disease (28 trials)
• Obesity (28 trials)
• Stroke (27 trials)
• Mild cognitive impairment (25 trials)
• Heart failure (24 trials)
• Chronic pain (19 trials)

New Horizons: Healthy Volunteers and Major Research Initiatives

While some doors are closing, new opportunities are continually emerging. This month, 97 new trials opened their doors specifically to healthy volunteers, adding to the nationwide total of 5,294 studies currently recruiting individuals without a diagnosed condition. These trials are crucial for understanding normal physiological processes, testing preventive measures, and establishing baseline data for new treatments.

Among the new studies launched this April, several stand out for their scale, sponsor, or potential impact. Novartis Pharmaceuticals is leading a significant Phase 3 open-label extension study, NCT07517263, involving 5,700 participants. This trial aims to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of Pelacarsen (TQJ230) for individuals who have completed a prior double-blind study, offering continued access to a potentially vital treatment.

Other notable new trials, though not all in advanced phases, are making substantial calls for participation:

• Kaiser Permanente is sponsoring the ADHERE-ASCVD study, NCT07522645, which seeks 22,000 participants to evaluate and optimize patient-facing messaging strategies to improve statin adherence among adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
• The VA Office of Research and Development is launching NCT07513805, an implementation study involving 10,500 older veterans to routinely measure walking speed, a powerful predictor of health outcomes.
• Salma Health, Inc. introduces ATLAS-1, NCT07528014, an Advanced Trial for Longitudinal Assessment in Salma 1, recruiting 5,000 participants to evaluate the feasibility and clinical utility of developing predictive models for treatment response in patients with depressed mood.
• Marc Toeteberg-Harms is sponsoring NCT07510087, a study on Glaucoma Related Quality of Life, involving 5,000 subjects to evaluate quality of life questionnaires at baseline and after treatment or surgery.
• RTI International is behind the Safer Drinking Spaces Study, NCT07527988, with 3,180 participants, evaluating active bystander training for staff in alcohol-serving establishments to improve safety and intervene in potentially violent situations.
• Stanford University is conducting NCT07522177, an online randomized controlled trial with 3,000 participants, to assess if animated storytelling videos can increase colorectal cancer screening behavior among eligible U.S. adults.
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center is seeking 2,000 participants for NCT07529691, a survey on Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Fibromuscular Dysplasia, a disease of the arteries predominantly impacting women.
• The University of Wisconsin, Madison is implementing an AI-assisted, patient-friendly imaging report summaries tool in oncology care delivery, with 2,000 participants in NCT07532083, to enhance communication between patients and providers.
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is looking at the Effects of Cannabis Species Labeling and Marketing on Perceptual, Subjective and Objective Use Outcomes in NCT07513337, involving 2,000 participants.

A Shifting Landscape: New Trials and Conditions

This month saw the launch of 299 new clinical trials across the nation. This figure represents a decrease from the 621 new trials that opened in March 2026, suggesting a slight slowdown in the pace of new research initiation. Despite this, the breadth of conditions being addressed remains wide, with a focus on both common and complex health issues. The most frequently targeted conditions in new trials include:

• Breast cancer (5 trials)
• Healthy volunteers (4 trials)
• Obesity (4 trials)
• Sleep (3 trials)
• Prediabetes (3 trials)
• Hypertension (3 trials)
• Cognitive dysfunction (3 trials)
• Pain (3 trials)

In terms of intervention types, drug trials continue to lead the way with 83 new studies, followed by behavioral interventions (64), and medical device evaluations (63). This diversity ensures that participants can find opportunities aligned with various research interests and health needs.

Leading the Charge: Sponsors Driving Innovation

The commitment of major research institutions and pharmaceutical companies is evident in the sponsorship of these new trials. Academic medical centers and government agencies are particularly active this month. Top sponsors include:

• M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (8 trials)
• Mayo Clinic (7 trials)
• Yale University (5 trials)
• VA Office of Research and Development (5 trials)
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (4 trials)
• University of Alabama at Birmingham (4 trials)
• University of California, San Francisco (4 trials)
• AstraZeneca (4 trials)

Overall, academic and institutional sponsors (categorized as "OTHER") are driving the majority of new research, with 219 trials, compared to 67 from industry sponsors, 8 from federal agencies, and 5 from the NIH. This highlights the robust research ecosystems within universities and medical centers nationwide.

Geographic Hotspots: Where Research Flourishes

Clinical trial activity is not evenly distributed across the country, with certain states and cities consistently leading in the number of new research opportunities. This month, the West Coast, Sun Belt, and Northeast corridors continue to be major hubs for new trial launches. The states with the highest number of new trials are:

• California (52 trials)
• Texas (36 trials)
• Florida (31 trials)
• New York (29 trials)
• Massachusetts (26 trials)
• North Carolina (23 trials)
• Ohio (21 trials)
• Maryland (17 trials)
• Virginia (15 trials)
• Minnesota (15 trials)
• Pennsylvania (15 trials)

Within these states, specific metropolitan areas serve as significant research centers. New York City, Houston, and Boston lead the nation in new trial openings this month, indicating a concentration of research infrastructure, academic institutions, and patient populations in these urban environments. Other cities with high activity include:

• New York, New York (17 trials)
• Houston, Texas (16 trials)
• Boston, Massachusetts (16 trials)
• San Francisco, California (15 trials)
• Miami, Florida (9 trials)
• Birmingham, Alabama (9 trials)
• Dallas, Texas (8 trials)
• Atlanta, Georgia (8 trials)
• Baltimore, Maryland (8 trials)
• Portland, Oregon (7 trials)

This geographic distribution means that residents in these areas often have more direct access to cutting-edge treatments and research opportunities. However, the nationwide scope of clinical trials, with 22,260 currently recruiting across 2,756 cities and 43,579 research sites, ensures that opportunities exist in many communities, even if fewer new trials open in a given month.

Broadening Participation: Who Can Join?

Clinical research is increasingly striving for diverse representation. This month's new trials show a strong commitment to including a wide range of participants. Notably, 231 new trials are designed to include older adults, ensuring that research outcomes are relevant to this growing demographic. Additionally, 49 trials are open to children, contributing to advancements in pediatric care. While most trials are open to both sexes, 20 new studies are exclusively for females and 8 are exclusively for males, targeting specific health questions relevant to these groups.

For those interested in contributing to medical science without a specific diagnosis, the opportunity to participate as a healthy volunteer remains robust. With 97 new trials accepting healthy individuals this month, and a total of 5,294 healthy volunteer studies currently recruiting nationwide, there are numerous avenues to support research and potentially gain insights into your own health.

As we move further into 2026, the clinical trials landscape continues to evolve, driven by both urgent deadlines and groundbreaking new initiatives. The coming months will likely see continued innovation in areas like AI-assisted healthcare and large-scale public health interventions, further expanding the ways individuals can contribute to and benefit from medical research.