Houston, TX Clinical Trials Report — May 2026

For patients and healthy volunteers in Houston, TX, May 2026 brings a mix of urgent opportunities and fresh avenues to contribute to medical research. With numerous trials nearing their enrollment deadlines, prompt action is key for those looking to participate.

Houston currently has 2,834 clinical trials actively recruiting across 1,035 research facilities. This month, a significant number of studies are preparing to close their enrollment, creating a time-sensitive window for participation.

Act Now: Trials Closing Soon

A total of 169 clinical trials in Houston are scheduled to conclude within the next 90 days. This urgency is particularly relevant for healthy volunteers, as 17 of these rapidly closing studies are still actively 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. Trials focused on various cancers and blood disorders are among those with limited time remaining for enrollment. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Advanced solid tumor (7 trials)
• Endometrial cancer (4 trials)
• Myelodysplastic syndromes (4 trials)
• Breast cancer (4 trials)
• Triple negative breast cancer (3 trials)
• Primary peritoneal cancer (3 trials)
• Myelodysplastic syndrome (3 trials)
• Solid tumor (3 trials)
• Acute myeloid leukemia (3 trials)
• Ovarian cancer (3 trials)

New Research Opportunities Emerge in May

This month, Houston saw the opening of 45 new clinical trials, a slight increase from the 43 trials that launched in March 2026. This indicates a consistent and robust research environment within the city.

New trials this month are exploring a range of conditions, with the most frequent being obesity (5 trials), overweight (3 trials), locally advanced (unresectable) or metastatic solid tumors (2 trials), and obstructive sleep apnoea (2 trials). Drug trials account for the largest share of new studies, with 27 new drug trials, followed by 10 other types of studies, 3 behavioral studies, 3 biological studies, 2 device studies, and 1 diagnostic test study.

Several high-profile new trials from major sponsors have opened in Houston, including significant Phase 3 studies. 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 Phase 3 study from Novo Nordisk A/S, 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," is seeking 2,500 participants to test the safety and effectiveness of CagriSema for body weight loss.
• AstraZeneca is sponsoring NCT07611110, "AZD2265 Compared With Standard of Care in PSMA-positive Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (VECTRA-01)," a Phase 3 study involving 670 participants to demonstrate the superiority of AZD2265.
• A Phase 3 study from Eli Lilly and Company, NCT07602582, "A Study of Donanemab (LY3002813) in Participants Who Completed Study AACM (TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 3-EXT)," is recruiting 550 participants to determine if annual doses of donanemab provide clinical benefit for Alzheimer's disease.
• RAI Services Company is leading NCT07598136, "A Study to Determine the Effects of ENDS Flavor Availability on Abstinence Within Smokers," an observational study with 1,280 participants to assess combustible cigarette users' abstinence when provided with electronic nicotine delivery systems.
• The Ohio State University is sponsoring NCT07567040, "Delaying the Onset of Nearsightedness Until Treatment (DONUT) Clinical Trial," a Phase 3 study with 664 participants, testing whether the onset of nearsightedness is delayed in children receiving nightly atropine drops.

Opportunities for Healthy Volunteers

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute to research. Of the 45 new trials launched this month, 4 are actively seeking healthy volunteers. Across Houston, a total of 197 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research.

Houston's Leading Research Facilities

Houston 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:

• MD Anderson Cancer Center (392 trials)
• M D Anderson Cancer Center (336 trials)
• Baylor College of Medicine (180 trials)
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (132 trials)
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (130 trials)
• Houston Methodist Hospital (123 trials)
• Texas Children's Hospital (104 trials)
• University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (84 trials)
• Research Site (82 trials)
• Baylor College of Medicine/Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (66 trials)

The various entities of MD Anderson Cancer Center collectively represent a dominant force in oncology research in Houston, while Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston also contribute significantly across a broad spectrum of medical fields.

Diverse Participation in Clinical Research

Participation in clinical trials is open to a diverse range of individuals. Of the 45 new trials launched this month, 40 include older adults, ensuring that senior populations have ample opportunity to contribute to medical science. Additionally, 4 new trials include children, 4 are female-only, and 3 are male-only.

Academic institutions continue to play a vital role in Houston's research ecosystem, with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (12 trials) and The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston (3 trials) sponsoring a notable number of new studies. Industry sponsors like AstraZeneca (5 trials), Novo Nordisk A/S (4 trials), and Eli Lilly and Company (3 trials) are also driving significant research efforts.

Broadening Your Search: Nearby Options

While Houston offers a vast array of clinical trial opportunities, individuals may also find options in nearby communities within Texas. Cities with active trials include Dallas (31 trials), San Antonio (20 trials), Austin (16 trials), McAllen (4 trials), El Paso (4 trials), Fort Worth (4 trials), Plano (3 trials), and Amarillo (3 trials).

As we move further into spring, Houston's robust research community will continue to drive medical innovation, offering diverse opportunities for individuals to contribute to the future of healthcare.