Condition
Depression - Major Depressive Disorder clinical trials and research
As of November 12, 2026, Find a Trial lists 81 Depression - Major Depressive Disorder clinical trials that are recruiting, at sites in 26 countries (most in United States (29), Canada (8), China (7)). 2 were first registered in the last 30 days. By phase: Phase 2 (5), Phase 1/2 (4), Phase 1 (3), Phase 4 (3). The most active sponsors are First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (3), Massachusetts General Hospital (3), Peking University (3). Every study is explained in plain English. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov and NIH RePORTER, updated November 12, 2026.
- 81Clinical trials
- 2New in 30 days
- 26Countries
Newest Depression - Major Depressive Disorder clinical trials
All recruiting trials (81)
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Understanding how the orbitofrontal cortex guides approach vs. avoidance in depression
This study tests how different parts of the orbitofrontal cortex influence whether people pursue rewards or risk loss, and whether this pattern is altered in Major Depressive Disorder.
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Health education program to help depression in older adults and caregivers in Ho Chi Minh City
A community-based education program for people 60+ and their caregivers is being tested to see if it can lower depression and improve quality of life compared with standard care.
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Prucalopride for low mood: testing a 5-HT4 receptor activator for cognition and sleep
This study tests whether prucalopride, a 5-HT4 receptor drug, can improve thinking and sleep in adults with low mood or major depressive disorder compared to a placebo.
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Pre-visit Companion Brief: a primary care AI-assisted check for depression and anxiety
This pilot tests an AI-powered pre-visit assessment that creates a concise Companion Brief for clinicians to help identify depression and anxiety during routine primary care.
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Medically tailored groceries to help depression in people with food insecurity
This trial tests whether giving medically tailored groceries for six months can reduce depressive symptoms in adults who have depression and struggle with access to food.
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Health and Work Ability After Inpatient Treatment for Stress-Related Disorders: Follow-Up of the HARMODI Cohort
This study follows people who had inpatient treatment for stress-related disorders to see how their health and ability to work change over the next three years and what factors help them return to work.
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ADAPT: a new parenting program to help depressed parents improve their kids’ behavior
A new parenting program called ADAPT tests whether tailored support for parents with depression helps reduce their child’s emotional and behavioral problems better than the standard Incredible Years Parenting Program.
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Longitudinal look at how lasting TMS benefits can be predicted for depression
This study follows people with major depressive disorder who responded to prior rTMS to see what factors predict how long their response lasts.
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Biomarker-guided antidepressant choice to see if rTMS or ketamine works best for you
This study tests whether brain and behavior markers can help match people with major depression to either rTMS or ketamine to see which works better for them.
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High-dose bilateral tDCS for older adults with late-life depression
This study tests whether high-dose, bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation can help people aged 60 or older with late-life depression who are on stable antidepressants.
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Multisite rTMS for fibromyalgia with depressive symptoms
This study tests whether stimulating both the motor and prefrontal brain areas with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can reduce pain in fibromyalgia patients who also have depressive symptoms.
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Mobile CBT for mood after a stroke
A mobile CBT app called Maya is tested to see if it helps adults recently recovering from stroke manage depression and anxiety during rehab.
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Concurrent and consecutive rTMS plus CBM for depression in adults
This study tests whether combining rTMS with a computer-based CBM-I program can reduce negative thinking and depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder.
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Lumateperone added to antidepressant therapy for older adults with treatment-resistant depression
A 10-week trial will test whether lumateperone helps reduce depression in people aged 60 and older who have not responded adequately to other antidepressants, compared with a placebo.
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Flumazenil to help reduce cognitive side effects during ECT for depression
This study tests whether giving flumazenil to reverse benzodiazepine effects during electroconvulsive therapy can lower cognitive side effects without reducing treatment effectiveness in adults with depression.
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Group-based ACT for psychological distress in young people
Researchers are testing whether group-based ACT helps 16-25 year olds with depression or anxiety more than the usual individual therapy.
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High-dose vs. conventional home-based tDCS for major depression
This study tests whether a higher-dose home-based tDCS treatment is as good as or better than a standard home-based treatment for adults with major depression.
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Stress management and meditative movements for depression with physical symptoms in Asian Americans
This study tests whether combining the SMART program with meditative movements like Qigong/Tai Chi can help Asian American adults with major depression who also have physical symptoms.
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AI-guided cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety
This program will try an AI-guided online CBT to see if it helps adults with mild depression or anxiety.
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Using smartphone and wearable data plus AI-guided online CBT to personalize depression care
This project will try combining real-time smartphone and wearable monitoring with AI-driven online cognitive-behavioral therapy to personalize treatment for adults (18–75) with major depressive disorder in Taiwan.
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Nutritional approaches for college students with depression
This project will test whether a Mediterranean diet, with or without time-restricted eating, is practical and can be followed by college students with mild-to-moderate depression.
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Psilocybin to reduce loss of pleasure (anhedonia) in depression
This trial will test whether psilocybin, given alone or with a risperidone blockade, can reduce anhedonia and boost well‑being in adults with depression.
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Creating a Korean cohort to track cognitive aging
This project will use smartphone surveys, a wearable watch, and blood tests to see if daily emotional stress is linked to short- and long-term thinking problems and inflammation in adults 60 and older in Seoul.
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Escitalopram in first-episode, drug-naïve major depressive disorder
This study tests whether escitalopram can help adults with their first episode of major depressive disorder who have not taken antidepressants before.
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Therapeutic drug monitoring-guided SSRI dosing for hospitalized teens and adults
This project will test whether using blood-level monitoring (TDM) to guide dosing of fluoxetine, escitalopram, or sertraline helps hospitalized patients aged 12 and older with moderate to severe depression.
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ipRGCs as biomarkers to predict TMS response in major depressive disorder
This study tests whether retinal cells called ipRGCs can predict who will respond to TMS in treatment-resistant depression.
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Fluoxetine's effect on anger-related emotional responses in young adults
This study will test whether taking fluoxetine for one week changes how healthy 18–24-year-olds react to anger-related words, faces, memories, and frustrating tasks compared with a placebo.
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Virtual reality mindfulness added to usual esketamine care for hard-to-treat depression
This will test whether adding a virtual-reality mindfulness program to usual esketamine treatment helps adults with treatment-resistant depression feel less depressed.
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Using an epigenetic drug to boost virtual reality cognitive training for middle-aged and older adults with depression or bipolar disorder
This trial will test whether daily sodium butyrate combined with three weeks of virtual reality cognitive training improves thinking skills in symptomatically stable adults aged 40–75 with depression or bipolar disorder.
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Behavioral health collaborative care for family members of ICU survivors in the Post-ICU clinic pilot
This pilot tests a telehealth-based behavioral health program using the NeuroFlow app for family members of ICU survivors to try to reduce anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms.
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No Time to Wait — Single-Session Growth-Mindset Program for Teens
This project will try a single-session online growth-mindset program to help Hong Kong adolescents aged 12–17 who have elevated depression or anxiety symptoms.
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Trazodone for older adults with major depression and mild cognitive impairment in Italy, Poland, and Romania
This will see if prolonged-release trazodone helps people aged 55+ with major depressive disorder and mild cognitive impairment when prescribed in routine care in Italy, Poland, and Romania.
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Pharmacist-guided medication management using pharmacogenomics to improve depression care
This study tests whether pharmacists in community pharmacies can use a patient's pharmacogenomic results to guide antidepressant treatment and improve Depression outcomes compared with usual care.
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Behavioral health collaborative care for people recovering after ICU
This trial will test whether a coordinated behavioral health program using a digital app, coaching, and psychiatric support helps ICU survivors reduce anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms.
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Home-based inspiratory muscle training to lower dementia risk in older adults
This study will test whether an 8-week, daily home inspiratory breathing program can lower blood pressure and improve thinking, mood, and sleep in adults aged 60–80 who have risk factors for dementia.
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Thinking skills and how they relate to depression, anxiety, and work functioning
This project will try metacognitive therapy with a work focus to see if it improves thinking skills and helps people with depression or anxiety who are at risk of sick leave return to work.
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Closed-loop tACS for major depressive disorder
A device-driven study tests whether a closed-loop transcranial alternating current stimulation treatment can reduce depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder.
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Step-by-step care plan to improve treatment for moderate depression in general practice
It tests whether a structured step-by-step care plan used by general practitioners works better than usual GP care or psychologist-led behavioral therapy for adults 18–65 with moderate depression.
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Online group cognitive behavioral therapy for adults with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers
This program tests whether a 13-week online group cognitive behavioral therapy helps adults with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers feel less depression and anxiety compared with online supportive group therapy.
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Psilocybin for depression after spinal cord injury
This trial will test whether three doses of psilocybin (5 mg, 10 mg, and 25 mg) are safe and tolerable for adults with chronic spinal cord injury who have major depression.
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Psychotherapy for depression linked to childhood trauma
This project will try a new one-on-one online therapy to see if it reduces depression and emotional dysregulation in adults who experienced childhood adversity.
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Digital twins to classify mental health patterns in adults with diabetes
This project will try to create 'digital twin' profiles that combine glucose, mood, and behavior data to track mental health patterns in adults with diabetes.
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Integrated care for older adults with major depression and multiple chronic conditions
This program will test whether a coordinated, person-centered care approach called I-CONNECT helps older adults (65+) with depression or bipolar disorder and at least two long-term physical illnesses feel better and manage their care more easily.
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Psilocybin and trazodone in treatment-resistant depression
This study tests whether adding trazodone to psilocybin helps people with treatment-resistant depression see benefit with different trazodone doses.
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Selenium plus fluoxetine for depression in teens
This study tests whether adding selenium to fluoxetine helps reduce depressive symptoms in youths aged 12–18 with major depressive disorder.
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PROSE or scleral lenses to improve mood in people with dry eye and other ocular surface disease
This project will test whether PROSE or scleral lenses help improve mood for adults with dry eye or other ocular surface disease who have symptoms of depression.
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Virtual reality to enhance behavioral activation for depression in older adults
This trial will try using a VR headset alongside behavioral activation therapy to help people aged 65 and older who have major depressive disorder.
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tACS plus stable medication for teens with major depressive disorder
This pilot study tests whether adding transcranial alternating current stimulation to a teen’s ongoing antidepressant treatment can help reduce depressive symptoms and is safe to use.
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MRI-guided rTMS for adolescents with major depression
This trial will test whether MRI-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents aged 12–18 compared with standard rTMS or sham treatment.
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Enhancing Deep Sleep in Depression with Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation
This pilot test will try non-invasive brain stimulation during sleep to see if it increases deep sleep and improves mood and thinking in adults with major depressive disorder.
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Four-week digital program to increase physical activity
This trial will test whether a four-week mobile app program that prompts daily physical activity can increase activity levels and reduce depressive symptoms in adults with at least moderate depression.
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Group Unified Protocol therapy at a university outpatient clinic
This project will try group-based Unified Protocol therapy for adults 18–40 with anxiety or unipolar depression to see if it reduces symptoms and improves emotion regulation and well‑being.
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PERSONAE: personalized online treatment for depression
This project will test whether PERSONAE, a 12-week personalized app-based CBT program with psychologist guidance, helps adults with mild to moderate depression more than a standard internet CBT program.
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Mindfulness-based Psilocybin Therapy for PTSD
This study tests whether psilocybin given with mindfulness-based therapy helps PTSD symptoms in adults who also have depression.
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Heated yoga, sauna, or a mindfulness app for depression
This project will test whether heated yoga, sauna sessions, or a mindfulness app reduce symptoms in adults with at least moderate depression.
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Personalized online program with human support for women with depression
A 3D 10-week online CBT program with weekly modules and six coaching sessions is tested as an add-on to usual care to see if it reduces depressive symptoms in women aged 18–45 with moderate depression.
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Combining rTMS and aerobic exercise to reduce depression and improve walking after stroke
This study will try combining repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with treadmill aerobic exercise to see if it reduces depression and improves walking in people 12–60 months after a stroke.
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Right-sided low-frequency (1-Hz) rTMS versus left-sided intermittent theta-burst stimulation for depression
This trial will test whether right-sided low-frequency (1-Hz) rTMS works as well as left-sided iTBS for adults with unipolar or bipolar depression.
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Personalized brain- circuit based approach to pramipexole in depression
This study tests whether pramipexole helps people with major depressive disorder based on specific brain circuit activity.
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Optimizing youth mental health trajectories
This study is trying to understand how mental health changes in young people aged 9 to 25 over five years to see if we can help prevent problems like depression and ADHD.
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Trying two forms of dexamfetamine sulfate for adults with ADHD and moderate-to-severe depression
This tests whether immediate-release and extended-release dexamfetamine sulfate can improve attention and depressive symptoms in adults with ADHD and moderate-to-severe major depression compared with placebo.
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Ultra-brief and brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy for emotional symptoms
This trial tests whether four-session and eight-session transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral treatments can help adults with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, or related emotional symptoms compared with a relaxation control.
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Digital program to reduce depression and cannabis use
This trial will test a digital program called AMP-C to see if it reduces depressive symptoms and cannabis use in adults with both major depression and problematic cannabis use.
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New blood test to help identify and track depression and early schizophrenia
This project will try a new blood test to see if it can identify and track depression or early schizophrenia in adults receiving psychiatric care.
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Accelerated versus once-daily theta-burst stimulation for late-life depression
This test compares multiple theta-burst brain stimulation sessions per day to one session per day to see which better reduces symptoms in people 60 and older with moderate to severe treatment-resistant depression.
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Examining how infants of depressed mothers respond to emotional faces
This study looks at how babies of mothers with depression react to different facial expressions to see if they pay more attention to certain emotions compared to babies of mothers without depression.
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Exploring how early life experiences affect brain and behavior
This study looks at how early life experiences like adoption and trauma affect brain development and behavior in young adults to help identify those at risk for mental health issues later on.
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Baby swimming to help new mothers with depression and attachment issues
This study tests whether baby swimming can help new moms with depression feel better and build a stronger bond with their babies.
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Exploring spinal stimulation for treating major depressive disorder
This study is testing if a new type of spinal stimulation can help people with major depressive disorder feel better by targeting specific pathways in the spine and brain.
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CYB003, a deuterated psilocin, for adults with major depressive disorder
This trial will test whether adding CYB003 to a current antidepressant helps reduce symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder who have not responded well to their medication.
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Online support for men adjusting to prostate cancer
This study is testing if an online therapy program can help men dealing with emotional challenges after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
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Assessing depression levels in patients with coronary artery disease
This study is trying to see how common depression is in people with coronary artery disease in Baghdad and if certain factors make it worse.
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Precision treatment strategies for common mental disorders
This study is testing a personalized approach to treating common mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia by using genetic information to help choose the right medications for people.
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Using fecal microbiota transplantation to treat major depressive disorder
This study is testing if a treatment using gut bacteria from healthy donors can help people with major depressive disorder who haven't responded well to their current antidepressants feel better.
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Meditative neurofeedback for treating depression
This study is testing whether a new 10-session meditation program using neurofeedback can help people with major depression feel better.
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Low-intensity magnetic stimulation for treating major depression
This study is testing whether low-intensity magnetic stimulation can help people with major depression feel better and change certain brain markers related to their mood.
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Ketamine paired with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people with alcohol problems and depression
This will test whether combining ketamine infusions with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps adults who have both alcohol use disorder and treatment-resistant depression.
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Using aerobic exercise to help treat depression
This study tests if using smart wristbands to track aerobic exercise can help people with depression feel better and improve their thinking skills.
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Psilocybin treatment for individuals with various psychiatric symptoms
This study is testing if a single dose of psilocybin can help people with different mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and PTSD feel better and improve their daily functioning.
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Brain imaging to understand cognitive issues in schizophrenia and depression
This study is trying to see how brain imaging can help us understand the memory and thinking problems that people with schizophrenia or depression face in their daily lives.
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Dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding in treatment-resistant, non-resistant depression, and healthy adults
This project will use PET scans to see if dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding differs between adults with treatment-resistant depression, non-resistant major depression, and healthy volunteers.
Related topics
Quick answers
How many Depression - Major Depressive Disorder clinical trials are recruiting right now?
81, as of November 12, 2026. 2 of them were first registered in the last 30 days. We update this list each time we refresh our data from ClinicalTrials.gov.
Where are these trials running?
In 26 countries. The most sites are in United States (29 trials), Canada (8 trials), China (7 trials), Spain (4 trials), United Kingdom (4 trials). Each study page lists its sites and which ones are recruiting.
What phases are they in?
Phase 2: 5, Phase 1/2: 4, Phase 1: 3, Phase 4: 3. Trials with no phase listed are usually device, behavioural or observational studies.
How do I join one?
Open a study, check the "Is this trial a fit for you?" section, then contact the study team listed on the page. They will ask a few screening questions. Asking is free and does not commit you to anything. Talk it over with your doctor first.
Find the studies that fit you
A list is a starting point. Tell us your situation in your own words and we'll rank the studies that match and explain why. It's free and needs no account.