Chicago, IL Clinical Trials Report — April 2026

For Chicagoans interested in contributing to medical research, April 2026 presents a critical window to join clinical trials, especially those with impending enrollment deadlines. Across the city, 165 clinical trials are scheduled to conclude within the next 90 days. This urgency is particularly relevant for healthy volunteers, as 32 of these rapidly closing studies are still actively seeking participants without specific health conditions. Individuals considering participation should explore these opportunities promptly.

Act Now: Trials Closing Soon Across Chicago

Patients managing specific health conditions also face impending deadlines to join research. Trials focusing on various cardiovascular, oncological, and metabolic conditions are among those with limited time remaining for enrollment. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Heart failure (4 trials)
• Breast cancer (3 trials)
• Obesity (3 trials)
• Hypertension (3 trials)
• Sickle cell disease (3 trials)
• Leukemia (2 trials)
• Gastric cancer (2 trials)
• LSD (2 trials)
• Colorectal cancer (2 trials)
• Chronic kidney disease (2 trials)

This month, Chicago saw the opening of 10 new clinical trials, a decrease from the 25 trials that launched in March 2026. Despite this dip in new openings, Chicago continues to be a significant hub for medical research, with a total of 2,005 clinical trials currently recruiting across 696 research facilities.

Spotlight on New Research Opportunities

April brings several notable new trials to Chicago, IL, including significant Phase 2 and Phase 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.

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is sponsoring NCT07507643, "A Study of Methylprednisolone in People Having Liver Surgery." This Phase 3 study, aiming for 750 participants, investigates whether methylprednisolone administered before surgery can reduce side effects like infections and shorten hospital stays.
• Incyte Corporation is launching NCT07522073, "A Study to Evaluate Chemotherapy With or Without INCB161734 in Previously Untreated, KRAS G12D-Mutated Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma." This important Phase 3 oncology trial seeks 588 participants to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new combination therapy.
• Kinaset Therapeutics Inc is initiating NCT07532265, "A Phase 2 Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Frevecitinib (KN-002) in Patients With Severe Asthma." This Phase 2 dose-ranging study will evaluate Frevecitinib over a 12-week treatment period in 512 patients with severe asthma not controlled by standard therapies.
• The University of Chicago is leading NCT07515534, "Effect of Early Parent Education on Children's Sleep." This study, designed for 391 participants, aims to learn if providing sleep information and advice to expecting parents can increase sleep duration and decrease sleep problems in infants.
• The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is sponsoring NCT07549503, "Early Signals of the Transition From Immune Quiescence to Activation in the Liver Allograft Microenvironment and in the Circulation." This Phase 2 study with 100 participants will determine the efficacy of a 50 percent immunosuppression reduction in liver transplant recipients.

New trials this month are exploring a range of conditions, including audio processing delay, hepatectomy, HIV, HIV prevention, hypertension, liver transplant, Parkinson disease, severe asthma, sleep, and solid tumors. Drug trials account for 4 of the new studies, with behavioral and procedure trials each contributing 2 new opportunities.

Healthy Volunteers and Diverse Participation

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute to medical science. 3 of the 10 new trials launched this month are actively seeking healthy volunteers. Across Chicago, a total of 242 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research.

Participation in clinical trials is open to a diverse range of individuals. Of the new trials launched this month, 4 include children, and 8 include older adults, ensuring that these populations have ample opportunity to contribute. One new trial is specifically designed for male participants.

Chicago's Leading Research Institutions

Chicago is home to some of the nation's leading research institutions, which consistently run a high volume of clinical trials. These facilities are key destinations for individuals seeking to participate in medical research:

• Northwestern University (343 trials)
• University of Chicago (187 trials)
• Rush University Medical Center (136 trials)
• University of Illinois (99 trials)
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (98 trials)
• University of Chicago Medical Center (95 trials)
• University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center (94 trials)
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital (81 trials)
• University of Illinois at Chicago (68 trials)
• Research Site (49 trials)
• Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (46 trials)
• The University of Chicago (37 trials)

These institutions offer a broad spectrum of research, from oncology and pediatric care to diverse medical fields, contributing significantly to the city's overall 2,005 active trials.

Expanding Your Search: Illinois Options

While Chicago offers a vast array of clinical trial opportunities, individuals may also find options in nearby communities within Illinois. Cities with active trials include Addison (3 trials), Springfield (2 trials), Evanston (2 trials), Aurora (1 trial), Gurnee (1 trial), Moline (1 trial), Naperville (1 trial), and Peoria (1 trial).

As we move further into spring, the focus will remain on the ongoing enrollment in these significant Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials and the continued exploration of new therapeutic strategies, with Chicago's robust research community at the forefront of medical innovation.