California Clinical Trials Report — April 2026

For Californians exploring opportunities to contribute to medical science, April 2026 brings a critical window for action, particularly for those considering trials that are nearing their enrollment deadlines. Across the state, 514 clinical trials are set to close within the next 90 days. This urgency is especially relevant for healthy volunteers, as 122 of these rapidly closing studies are actively seeking participants without specific health conditions. Individuals interested in joining research should review these options promptly before they are no longer available.

Patients managing specific health challenges also have limited time to enroll in certain studies. Trials focused on various types of cancer, neurological conditions, and mental health are among those with impending deadlines. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Colorectal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Cholangiocarcinoma
• Anxiety
• Acute myeloid leukemia
• Gastric cancer
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Parkinson disease
• Mild cognitive impairment

New Research Frontiers: Major Studies Launch Across California

This month, California welcomes 61 new clinical trials, offering fresh opportunities for participation, though this marks a decrease from the 105 trials that opened in March 2026. Despite this shift, the state continues to be a hub for groundbreaking research, with several notable Phase 2 and 3 studies from major sponsors launching this April.

• Kaiser Permanente is sponsoring NCT07522645, "Adherence to Dyslipidemia Therapy: Harnessing Evidence From Randomized Evaluations in AtheroSclerotic CardioVascular Disease." This large study aims to enroll 22,000 participants to evaluate and optimize patient-facing messaging strategies for improving statin adherence among adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
• Novartis Pharmaceuticals is initiating NCT07517263, "An Open Label Extension (OLE) Study...to Evaluate Long-term Safety and Tolerability of Pelacarsen (TQJ230)." This Phase 3 study will provide continued access to pelacarsen for 5,700 participants who completed a prior double-blind study, focusing on long-term safety.
• Salma Health, Inc. is launching NCT07528014, "ATLAS-1: Advanced Trial for Longitudinal Assessment in Salma 1." This study will evaluate the feasibility and clinical utility of developing predictive models for treatment response in patients with depressed mood, using multimodal clinical data from 5,000 participants.
• Stanford University is leading NCT07522177, "Animated Storytelling to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening." This online randomized controlled trial involves 3,000 participants and will assess if a short animated video can increase the likelihood of adults completing colorectal cancer screening.
• Cepheid is conducting NCT07520279, evaluating the "Xpert® Tropical Fever Test on GeneXpert® Edge X System." This multi-site observational study seeks 2,500 participants to gather data on a new diagnostic test.
• Nucleix Ltd. is sponsoring NCT07514143, a "Bladder EpiCheck Product Development Study." This prospective, observational study will collect urine samples from 1,000 subjects suspected of having a bladder tumor or under NMIBC surveillance to support the development of a diagnostic kit.
• Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. is behind NCT07516132, a Phase 3 study to evaluate the "Long-Term Safety of Intravitreal OTX-TKI (Axitinib Implant)" in 850 participants with neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration who completed prior studies.
• iSono Health, Inc. is conducting NCT07505797, "ATUSA Ultrasound Diagnostic Imaging for Breast Lesions Evaluation (AUDIBLE)." This multi-site study aims to gather data on 3D Automated Breast Ultrasound imaging using the iSono Health ATUSA system from 800 female participants with suspicious breast findings.

Opportunities for Healthy Volunteers and Diverse Participants

For individuals without specific medical conditions, April offers significant avenues to contribute to research. Of the 61 new trials launched this month, 21 are actively seeking healthy volunteers. Statewide, a robust total of 782 trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous options for those interested in supporting medical advancements.

New trials specifically seeking healthy participants this month include studies focused on:

• Healthy participants
• Healthy volunteer
• Acute mountain sickness (AMS)

Clinical trials in California are designed to include a broad range of individuals. This month, 10 new trials are open to children, 3 are female-only, and 2 are male-only. Furthermore, 47 new studies are inclusive of older adults, ensuring that diverse age groups can participate in and benefit from research.

California's Extensive Research Landscape: Where to Participate

California continues to lead in clinical research, with a remarkable 5,466 clinical trials currently recruiting across 303 cities and 5,232 research sites. This vast network ensures accessibility for residents across the state.

This month's new trials show a strong concentration in major metropolitan areas. The cities with the most new trials opening in April include:

• San Francisco (16 new trials)
• Los Angeles (7 new trials)
• San Diego (6 new trials)
• Palo Alto (4 new trials)
• Glendale (4 new trials)
• Escondido (3 new trials)
• La Jolla (3 new trials)

Other cities like Orange, Santa Clarita, and Anaheim also saw new trials launch, indicating a continued spread of research opportunities beyond the largest urban centers, though with a clear emphasis on key research hubs.

Sponsors and Study Focus: Driving Innovation

The landscape of new trials in California reflects a strong collaboration between industry and academic institutions. This month, industry sponsors are leading with 32 new trials, while academic and other organizations account for 27, and federal entities for 2. Notable academic sponsors include Stanford University with 5 new trials and the University of California, San Francisco with 4. Major pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca (4 new trials), Eli Lilly and Company (2 new trials), and Novo Nordisk A/S (2 new trials) are also actively contributing.

The types of interventions being studied are diverse, with drug trials representing the largest category at 24 new studies. Other significant categories include device trials (10), behavioral interventions (9), and dietary supplements (7). This variety ensures that research addresses a wide spectrum of health needs and approaches.

As we move through April, the focus remains on the ongoing enrollment in these critical studies, with new opportunities continuously emerging to advance medical knowledge and improve patient care across California.