Birmingham, AL Clinical Trials Report — May 2026

For Birmingham residents considering participation in clinical research, May 2026 presents a crucial window of opportunity, particularly for trials nearing their enrollment deadlines. Across the city, 936 clinical trials are actively recruiting participants, offering diverse avenues to contribute to medical advancements.

Act Now: Trials Closing Soon

A significant number of research opportunities are closing within the next 90 days, making prompt action essential for interested individuals. A total of 65 trials are slated to conclude their enrollment soon. This urgency extends to healthy volunteers, as 15 of these rapidly closing studies are still seeking participants without specific health conditions. These trials offer a chance to contribute to medical advancements before their enrollment windows close.

Patients managing specific health conditions also face impending deadlines to join research. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Glioblastoma multiforme (2 trials)
• Acute kidney injury (2 trials)
• Hypertension (2 trials)
• Ovarian cancer (2 trials)
• Adverse birth outcomes (1 trial)
• Amputation, traumatic/surgery (1 trial)
• Acute kidney injury due to sepsis (1 trial)
• Aortic aneurysm (1 trial)
• Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency (1 trial)
• Astrocytoma (1 trial)

New Research Opportunities Emerge in May

This month, Birmingham saw the opening of 16 new clinical trials, a slight decrease from the 19 trials that launched in March 2026. This brings the total number of actively recruiting clinical trials in Birmingham, AL, to 936 across 331 research facilities, underscoring the city's robust research landscape. The trend over the past six months shows fluctuating activity, with 17 new trials in April and 13 in March.

May brings several high-profile new trials to Birmingham, including significant Phase 2 and 3 studies from major sponsors. These trials offer participants the chance to engage with cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic approaches across a range of health challenges.

• Novo Nordisk A/S is initiating a notable Phase 3 study, NCT07567001, "A Research Study to Look at How Well NNC0487-0111 Works Compared to Placebo in People With Heart Failure and Obesity." This trial aims for 5,610 participants to evaluate the safety and effect of NNC0487-0111 in individuals with Heart Failure with preserved or mildly reduced Ejection Fraction and excess body weight.
• Another significant Phase 3 trial from Novo Nordisk A/S is NCT07564414, "A Research Study to Look at How Two Different Doses of CagriSema and One Dose of Semaglutide Help People Living With Obesity With or Without Type 2 Diabetes Lose Weight." This study involves 2,500 participants and seeks to determine the safety and effectiveness of CagriSema for body weight loss in people with obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes.
• Cepheid is sponsoring NCT07591740, "Xpert Hemorrhagic Fever on Edge X in Trained and Untrained Users," an observational study involving 725 participants to evaluate the Xpert Hemorrhagic fever tests on Edge X instruments.
• The Ohio State University is leading NCT07567040, "Delaying the Onset of Nearsightedness Until Treatment (DONUT) Clinical Trial," a Phase 3 study with 664 participants. This trial will test if the onset of nearsightedness is delayed in children randomized to nightly atropine drops compared to placebo.
• Apollo Therapeutics Ltd is behind NCT07599813, "A Phase 2b Study of the Effects of Camoteskimab in Adults With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis," a Phase 2b study with 280 participants.
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham is sponsoring NCT07564934, "Leveraging Extended Reality Exergaming and Telehealth to Improve Physical Activity and Health in Children With Disabilities," a Phase 2 trial involving 130 participants to evaluate a telehealth-delivered extended reality (XR) exergaming intervention for children with cerebral palsy.

New trials this month are exploring a range of conditions, with the most frequent being obesity (2 trials) and type 2 diabetes (2 trials). Other conditions include atopic dermatitis, bone grafting, care transition, cerebral palsy, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Drug trials account for the largest share of new studies, with 6 new drug trials, followed by 2 behavioral and 2 device trials.

Opportunities for Healthy Volunteers

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute to research. Of the 16 new trials launched this month, 5 are actively seeking healthy volunteers. Across Birmingham, a total of 119 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research.

Birmingham's Leading Research Facilities

Birmingham is home to prominent research institutions that consistently conduct a high volume of clinical trials. These facilities are key destinations for individuals seeking to participate in medical research:

• University of Alabama at Birmingham (291 trials)
• University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center (60 trials)
• Children's Hospital of Alabama (40 trials)
• University of Alabama Birmingham (28 trials)
• University of Alabama (27 trials)
• Research Site (22 trials)
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham (18 trials)
• Children's of Alabama (14 trials)
• UAB (12 trials)
• University of Alabama Hospital (10 trials)
• Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL (9 trials)
• University of Alabama - Birmingham (6 trials)

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and its affiliated centers, including the UAB Cancer Center and Children's Hospital of Alabama, are the primary drivers of clinical research in the city, offering a broad spectrum of studies across various medical fields.

Broadening Your Search: Nearby Options

While Birmingham offers a vast array of clinical trial opportunities, individuals may also find options in nearby communities within Alabama. Cities with active trials include Alexander City (1 trial), Auburn (1 trial), Dothan (1 trial), Fairhope (1 trial), Mobile (1 trial), Montgomery (1 trial), and Pelham (1 trial).

Participation in clinical trials is open to a diverse range of individuals. Of the 16 new trials launched this month, 5 include children and 12 include older adults, ensuring that these populations have opportunities to contribute to medical science. No new trials this month are exclusively for females or males. Academic institutions continue to play a vital role in Birmingham's research ecosystem, with the University of Alabama at Birmingham sponsoring 8 new trials. Industry sponsors like Novo Nordisk A/S (2 trials), Cepheid (1 trial), Genentech, Inc. (1 trial), and Apollo Therapeutics Ltd (1 trial) are also driving significant research efforts.

As we move through May, Birmingham's active research community will continue to drive medical innovation, offering diverse opportunities for individuals to contribute to the future of healthcare.