Palo Alto, CA Clinical Trials Report — April 2026

For individuals in Palo Alto, CA, considering participation in clinical research, April 2026 presents a critical window to join studies before enrollment closes. Across the city, 40 clinical trials are slated to conclude within the next 90 days. This urgency is particularly relevant for healthy volunteers, as 6 of these rapidly closing studies are still actively seeking participants without specific health conditions. Individuals interested in contributing to medical advancements should explore these options promptly.

Impending Deadlines for Specific Conditions

Patients managing certain health conditions also face impending deadlines to join research. Trials focused on various cancers, neurological conditions, and other health challenges are among those with limited time remaining for enrollment. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Myelodysplastic syndromes (2 trials)
• Stage IV lung cancer AJCC V8 (2 trials)
• Acute lymphoid leukemia (1 trial)
• Advanced breast cancer (1 trial)
• Advanced lung non-small cell carcinoma (1 trial)
• Age-related macular degeneration (1 trial)
• Alzheimer disease (1 trial)
• ALS-frontotemporal dementia (1 trial)
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (1 trial)
• Anatomic stage II breast cancer AJCC V8 (1 trial)

Palo Alto continues to be a significant hub for medical research, with a total of 581 clinical trials currently recruiting across 174 research facilities.

New Research Opportunities This Month

This April, Palo Alto saw the opening of 5 new clinical trials, a slight increase from the 4 trials that launched in March 2026. These new studies offer participants the chance to engage with cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic approaches across a range of health challenges.

Notable new trials include:

• NCT07544654: "A Study in People With Advanced Extrapulmonary Neuroendocrine Cancer to Compare Obrixtamig Plus Carboplatin and Etoposide Treatment With Standard Chemotherapy." This Phase 3 drug trial, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, aims for 390 participants. It is open to adults with advanced extrapulmonary neuroendocrine cancer and seeks to determine if obrixtamig combined with standard chemotherapy improves survival compared to standard chemotherapy alone.
• NCT07507747: "Testing an Adaptive Intervention for Peer-Supported Mobile Health for Primary Care Veterans With Psychological Distress." Sponsored by the VA Office of Research and Development, this study targets 384 participants. It investigates the effectiveness of VA mobile health applications in helping Veterans manage psychological distress, including depression, PTSD, anxiety, and sleep issues.

New trials this month are exploring a range of conditions, including:

• Abortion (1 trial)
• Autism (1 trial)
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (1 trial)
• Fanconi anemia (1 trial)
• Grief (traumatic grief and existential grief) (1 trial)
• Psychological distress (1 trial)
• PTSD (childbirth-related) (1 trial)
• Stillbirth (1 trial)
• Unresectable locally advanced or metastatic extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas (1 trial)

The new studies are primarily behavioral and drug-focused, with 2 behavioral trials, 2 drug trials, 1 biological trial, and 1 device trial opening this month. Stanford University is sponsoring 2 of these new trials, alongside industry and federal sponsors.

Healthy Volunteer Opportunities

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are opportunities to contribute to medical research. While 0 of the 5 new trials launched this month are actively seeking healthy volunteers, a total of 57 clinical trials across Palo Alto are currently recruiting healthy participants. As mentioned, 6 of these healthy volunteer trials are closing within the next 90 days, making prompt action important for those interested.

Palo Alto's Leading Research Hubs

Palo Alto 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:

• Stanford University (131 trials)
• Stanford Cancer Institute Palo Alto (40 trials)
• Palo Alto Medical Foundation Health Care (25 trials)
• Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford University (25 trials)
• Stanford University Medical Center (23 trials)
• Stanford Cancer Center (22 trials)
• VA Palo Alto Health Care System (20 trials)
• Stanford Cancer Institute (20 trials)
• Stanford University School of Medicine (19 trials)
• Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (19 trials)

These institutions offer a broad spectrum of research, from oncology at Stanford Cancer Institute and Stanford Cancer Center, to pediatric care at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, and comprehensive medical research across Stanford University's various departments and medical centers, including the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

Expanding Your Search: Nearby Options

While Palo Alto offers a vast array of clinical trial opportunities, individuals may also find options in nearby communities within California. Cities with active trials include San Francisco (21 trials), Los Angeles (10 trials), San Diego (6 trials), Duarte (5 trials), Glendale (5 trials), La Jolla (4 trials), Los Alamitos (4 trials), and Santa Monica (3 trials).

Participation Demographics

Participation in clinical trials is open to a diverse range of individuals. Of the 5 new trials launched this month, 2 include children, 1 is female-only, and 4 include older adults, ensuring that various populations have opportunities to contribute to medical science. Academic institutions, particularly Stanford University, continue to play a vital role in Palo Alto's research ecosystem, alongside industry sponsors like Boehringer Ingelheim and federal sponsors such as the VA Office of Research and Development.

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