South Carolina Clinical Trials Report — May 2026

For South Carolinians considering participation in clinical research, May 2026 brings a critical window of opportunity, particularly for trials nearing their enrollment deadlines. Across the state, 93 clinical trials are slated to close within the next 90 days. This urgency extends to healthy volunteers, with 9 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 mental health, cancer, and substance use disorders are among those with limited time remaining for enrollment. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Depression
• Cancer
• Substance use disorders
• Stage IV lung cancer
• Major depressive disorder
• Substance use
• Idiopathic hypersomnia
• Cannabis use
• Head and neck cancer
• Heart failure

Major Research Initiatives Launch in South Carolina

This month brings several high-profile new trials to South Carolina, including significant Phase 2 and 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 neurological conditions and infectious diseases.

• 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 enroll 5,610 participants globally, evaluating 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 trial seeks to enroll 2,500 participants to assess the safety and effectiveness of CagriSema for body weight loss in people with obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes.
• Pfizer is leading NCT07573462, a Phase 3 study named "A Study to Learn About the Safety of an Expanded Pneumococcal Vaccine in Healthy Infants." This trial will involve 2,400 participants and aims to learn about the safety of a new pneumococcal vaccine and how it helps fight against germs that can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media in infants. This study is notable for accepting healthy infants.
• Also from Novo Nordisk A/S, NCT07571109, "AMAZE 4: A Research Study Investigating How Well the Medicine NNC0487-0111 Helps People With Excess Body Weight and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Treated With Positive Airway Pressure Lose Weight and Improve Sleep Apnoea." This Phase 3 study will enroll 300 participants to look at the efficacy and safety of NNC0487-0111 in individuals with overweight or obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea.
• Duke University is sponsoring NCT07567794, "GBPDC: Gut-Brain in PD Consortium Master Protocol." This research study aims to identify the role that the gut-brain axis plays in Parkinson's disease (PD) and involves 250 participants.
• Finally, Wake Forest University Health Sciences is sponsoring NCT07560826, "The CATSINDO Trial - Clinical and Translational Study in Newly Diagnosed Osteosarcoma." This Phase 2 study with 46 participants 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.

South Carolina's Research Landscape and Opportunities

This month, South Carolina saw the opening of 6 new clinical trials. While this is a decrease compared to the 14 trials that launched in March 2026, the state continues to offer a broad array of research opportunities, with a total of 1,171 clinical trials currently recruiting across 52 cities and 654 research sites.

The majority of new research initiatives this month are concentrated in larger metropolitan areas, with Charleston leading with 3 new trials, followed by Columbia with 2. Other cities across the state also saw new trial launches, including Fort Mill, Gaffney, Greenville, Simpsonville, and Spartanburg, each with one new trial. This indicates a continued effort to make research accessible beyond the largest urban centers.

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

• Obesity
• Gut microbiota
• Heart failure
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• Osteosarcoma in adolescents and young adults
• Osteosarcoma in children
• Overweight
• Parkinson disease
• Pneumococcal disease

The types of interventions being studied are varied, with drug trials leading the way, accounting for 4 of the new trials, and biological treatments for 1.

Diverse Participation: Healthy Volunteers and Specific Demographics

Participation in clinical trials is open to a wide range of individuals. Of the 6 new trials launched this month, 2 include children and 4 include older adults, ensuring that these populations have opportunities to contribute to medical science.

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute. 2 of the new trials this month are actively seeking healthy volunteers. Across South Carolina, a total of 94 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research.

Academic institutions continue to play a vital role in South Carolina's research ecosystem, with Duke University and Wake Forest University Health Sciences sponsoring new trials. Industry sponsors, including Novo Nordisk A/S and Pfizer, are also driving significant research efforts, accounting for the majority of new studies this month.

As we move through May, the focus will likely remain on 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 South Carolina.