San Diego, CA Clinical Trials Report — April 2026

For San Diegans considering participation in clinical research, April 2026 presents a critical window for those looking to join studies before enrollment concludes. Across San Diego, 37 clinical trials are slated to close within the next 90 days. This urgency is particularly relevant for healthy volunteers, as 11 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.

New Opportunities for Research Participation

This month, San Diego saw the opening of 6 new clinical trials, a decrease from the 10 trials that launched in March 2026. Despite this dip in new openings, the city continues to be a vital hub for medical research, with a total of 704 clinical trials currently recruiting across 330 research facilities.

Among the new trials, several notable studies offer opportunities to engage with cutting-edge diagnostic approaches and treatments from major sponsors:

• Cepheid is sponsoring NCT07520279, "Xpert® Tropical Fever Test on GeneXpert® Edge X System." This observational, cross-sectional study aims to enroll 2,500 participants across multiple sites, including San Diego, to evaluate a new diagnostic test for tropical fevers.
• Nucleix Ltd. is launching NCT07514143, "Bladder EpiCheck Product Development Study." This prospective, observational study seeks 1,000 participants to collect urine samples for the development of a new bladder tumor detection kit. This is a single-visit study.
• AstraZeneca is initiating NCT07525375, "A Phase II Study to Investigate Lung Function With 2 Different Doses of Inhaled Glycopyrronium Taken With BFF Compared to BFF in Participants of 4 to Less Than 12 Years of Age With Asthma." This Phase 2 study, designed for 69 participants, will evaluate the effect of different doses of an inhaled medication on lung function in children aged 4 to less than 12 years with asthma.

New trials this month are exploring a range of conditions, including advanced/metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma, Alzheimer's dementia, Alzheimer's disease, APOE-4 positive status, asthma, Chikungunya virus infection, congenital anomaly, dengue fever, failure of Fontan type circulation, and fenestration. The new studies include 2 diagnostic tests, 1 combination product, 1 device, and 1 drug trial.

Opportunities for Healthy Volunteers

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute to medical research. 1 of the 6 new trials launched this month is actively seeking healthy volunteers. Across San Diego, a total of 96 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research.

San Diego's Leading Research Institutions

San Diego is home to several prominent research institutions that consistently conduct a high volume of clinical trials. These facilities are key destinations for individuals seeking to participate in medical research:

• University of California San Diego (including University of California, San Diego, and UC San Diego Medical Center - Hillcrest) collectively runs 100 trials.
• Rady Children's Hospital (including Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital San Diego) collectively runs 83 trials.
• Research Site (22 trials)
• Kaiser Permanente-San Diego Zion (22 trials)
• VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA (21 trials)
• San Diego State University (18 trials)
• Naval Medical Center San Diego (11 trials)
• Artemis Institute for Clinical Research (9 trials)

These institutions offer a broad spectrum of research, from pediatric care at Rady Children's Hospital to diverse medical fields at UC San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

Conditions with Impending Deadlines

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

• Acral melanoma (1 trial)
• Advanced solid tumor (1 trial)
• Alcohol use disorder (1 trial)
• Alcohol use, unspecified (1 trial)
• Alzheimer disease (1 trial)
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (1 trial)
• Atrial fibrillation (1 trial)
• Autism (1 trial)
• Basal cell carcinoma (1 trial)
• Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvftd) (1 trial)

Participation and Demographics

Participation in clinical trials is open to a diverse range of individuals. Of the 6 new trials launched this month, 3 include children, ensuring that younger populations have opportunities to contribute to medical science. Additionally, 5 new trials are specifically designed for older adults. Industry sponsors like AstraZeneca, Bayer, Cepheid, Nucleix Ltd., Occlutech International AB, and Prevention Research Consortium Corp. are driving the majority of new research efforts this month, with 5 new industry-sponsored trials and 1 other-sponsored trial.

Broadening Your Search: Nearby Options

While San Diego 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), Duarte (5 trials), Glendale (5 trials), Palo Alto (5 trials), La Jolla (4 trials), Los Alamitos (4 trials), and Santa Monica (3 trials).

As we move through April, the focus will remain on the ongoing enrollment in these significant studies and the continued exploration of new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies, with San Diego's robust research community at the forefront of medical innovation.