North Carolina Clinical Trials Report — May 2026

For North Carolina residents considering participation in clinical research, May 2026 brings an urgent call to action, particularly for those looking to join studies nearing their enrollment deadlines. Across the state, 218 clinical trials are slated to close within the next 90 days. This includes a significant opportunity for healthy volunteers, with 41 of these rapidly closing studies actively seeking participants without specific health conditions. Individuals interested in contributing to medical advancements should explore these options promptly before they are no longer available.

Patients managing certain health conditions also face impending deadlines to join research. Trials focused on various types of cancer, heart conditions, and mental health are among those with limited time remaining for enrollment. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Breast cancer (7 trials)
• Depression (6 trials)
• Cancer (5 trials)
• Heart failure (4 trials)
• Metastatic cancer (3 trials)
• Gout chronic (2 trials)
• Advanced solid tumor (2 trials)
• Cystic fibrosis in children (2 trials)
• Colorectal cancer (2 trials)
• Anterior cruciate ligament injuries (2 trials)

Major Research Initiatives Launch in North Carolina

This month, North Carolina welcomes several high-profile new trials, including significant Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies from major pharmaceutical companies and leading academic institutions. These trials offer participants the chance to engage with cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic tools, addressing a range of health challenges from metabolic disorders to pediatric cancers.

• Novo Nordisk A/S is sponsoring NCT07567001, a Phase 3 study titled "A Research Study to Look at How Well NNC0487-0111 Works Compared to Placebo in People With Heart Failure and Obesity." This substantial trial aims to evaluate the safety and effect of NNC0487-0111 in individuals with Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) or Heart Failure with mildly reduced Ejection Fraction (HFmrEF) and excess body weight.
• Another significant Phase 3 study 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 clinical study is testing how the study medicine CagriSema helps people living with obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D), lose weight, with the purpose of finding out how safe and effective CagriSema is for body weight loss.
• Wake Forest University Health Sciences is leading NCT07560826, a Phase 2 study named "The CATSINDO Trial - Clinical and Translational Study in Newly Diagnosed Osteosarcoma." This study aims to learn whether children, adolescents, and young adults with newly diagnosed high-grade osteosarcoma can be safely discharged from the hospital at slightly higher methotrexate blood levels after receiving standard high-dose methotrexate chemotherapy. This trial specifically includes participants up to 22 years of age.

North Carolina's Evolving Research Landscape

This month, North Carolina saw the opening of 7 new clinical trials, a notable decrease compared to the 39 trials that launched in March 2026. This trend reflects a broader pattern of fewer new openings in recent months, with the state seeing 38 new trials in April and 44 in March. Despite this dip in new openings, North Carolina continues to offer a broad array of research opportunities, with a total of 2,570 clinical trials currently recruiting across 96 cities and 1,578 research sites.

The new research initiatives this month are spread across several cities, indicating a commitment to accessibility beyond the largest urban centers. Cities with new trial openings include:

• Greenville (3 new trials)
• Wilmington (3 new trials)
• Chapel Hill (3 new trials)
• Statesville (2 new trials)
• Charlotte (2 new trials)
• Morehead City (1 new trial)
• Raleigh (1 new trial)
• Wake Forest (1 new trial)
• Apex (1 new trial)
• Winston-Salem (1 new trial)

New studies are exploring a range of conditions, from common ailments to more specialized areas. This month's new trials are targeting:

• Obesity (2 trials)
• Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) (1 trial)
• Hallux valgus (1 trial)
• Heart failure (1 trial)
• Opioid prescribing (1 trial)
• Osteosarcoma in adolescents and young adults (1 trial)
• Osteosarcoma in children (1 trial)
• Type 2 diabetes (1 trial)
• Chronic cough (1 trial)
• X-linked porphyria (XLP) (1 trial)

The types of interventions being studied are varied, with drug trials leading the way, accounting for 3 of the new trials. Other new studies include behavioral interventions and other types of research.

Participation Opportunities: Healthy Volunteers and Specific Demographics

Participation in clinical trials is open to a wide range of individuals. Of the 7 new trials launched this month, 2 include children, offering opportunities for younger participants to engage in research that could benefit their age group. Additionally, 6 new trials are open to older adults, ensuring that senior populations have ample opportunity to contribute to medical science.

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute. While none of the new trials this month are actively seeking healthy volunteers, across North Carolina, a total of 297 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants. This provides numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research without having a specific health condition.

Academic institutions continue to play a vital role in North Carolina's research ecosystem, with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University Health Sciences sponsoring new trials this month. Industry sponsors, including Novo Nordisk A/S, DePuy Synthes Products, Inc., and Portal Therapeutics, Inc., are also driving significant research efforts, accounting for 4 of the new studies this month, compared to 3 from academic or other sponsors.

As we move through May, the focus will likely shift towards the ongoing enrollment in these significant Phase 2 and 3 trials, while researchers prepare for the next wave of innovative studies to address a broad spectrum of health challenges across North Carolina.