Washington D.C., DC Clinical Trials Report — May 2026

For patients and healthy volunteers in Washington D.C., May 2026 offers important opportunities to engage with clinical research, particularly as several trials are nearing their enrollment deadlines. Across the city, 52 clinical trials are slated to close within the next 90 days, requiring prompt action for those interested in participating. This urgency extends to healthy volunteers, as 8 of these rapidly closing studies are still actively seeking participants without specific health conditions.

New Research Opportunities Emerge in D.C.

This month, Washington D.C. saw the opening of 6 new clinical trials, an increase from the 4 trials that launched in March 2026. This brings the total number of actively recruiting clinical trials in Washington D.C. to 820 across 287 research facilities, highlighting the city's active role in medical advancement.

May brings several high-profile new trials to Washington D.C., including significant Phase 2 and 3 studies from major sponsors. 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.
• The Duchenne Registry is sponsoring NCT07609394, "Duchenne Electronic Health Record Study," an observational study involving 2,500 participants. This study aims to collect retrospective and prospective, long-term data of patients with dystrophinopathy (including Duchenne, Becker, and female carriers) through electronic transfer of health records.
• True Bearing Diagnostics, Inc. is leading NCT07579312, "Diagnosis of Abdominal Pain Using RNA Levels: The NATURAL Study," a prospective, observational study aiming for 1,000 participants. This research investigates RNA biomarkers of infections to aid in the diagnosis of abdominal pain.
• AstraZeneca is sponsoring NCT07608354, "A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Concomitant Use of Eplontersen and ALXN2220 Compared With Eplontersen and Placebo for Adults Participants With ATTR-CM." This Phase 2 study, with 326 participants, evaluates the efficacy and safety of a combined treatment for Transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).

New trials this month are exploring a range of conditions, including appendicitis acute, Becker muscular dystrophy, diverticulitis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), dystrophinopathy, dystrophinopathy symptomatic female carrier, epiploic appendagitis, heart failure, intra abdominal infections, and obesity. Drug trials and biological studies each account for 2 of the new trials, alongside other types of research.

Opportunities for Healthy Volunteers and Diverse Participants

For individuals without a specific medical condition, there are significant opportunities to contribute to research. 3 of the 6 new trials launched this month are actively seeking healthy volunteers. Across Washington D.C., a total of 94 clinical trials are currently recruiting healthy participants, providing numerous avenues for those interested in supporting medical research.

Participation in clinical trials is open to a diverse range of individuals. Of the 6 new trials launched this month, 2 include children, and 5 include older adults, ensuring that these populations have ample opportunity to contribute to medical science. Industry sponsors like Novo Nordisk A/S and AstraZeneca are driving significant research efforts this month.

Washington D.C.'s Leading Research Facilities

Washington D.C. is home to several leading research institutions that consistently run a high volume of clinical trials. These facilities are key destinations for individuals seeking to participate in medical research:

• Children's National Medical Center (with 96 trials)
• Children's National Hospital (66 trials)
• MedStar Washington Hospital Center (66 trials)
• MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (64 trials)
• Sibley Memorial Hospital (48 trials)
• Georgetown University (33 trials)
• Georgetown University Medical Center (32 trials)
• Research Site (25 trials)
• George Washington University Medical Center (23 trials)
• Medstar Washington Hospital Center (21 trials)
• George Washington University (18 trials)
• Medstar Georgetown University Hospital (14 trials)

These institutions offer a broad spectrum of research, from pediatric care at Children's National Medical Center and Children's National Hospital, to diverse medical fields at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Conditions Nearing Enrollment Close

Patients managing specific health conditions also face impending deadlines to join research. Trials focused on various conditions are among those with limited time remaining for enrollment. Conditions with trials closing soon include:

• Spinal cord injuries (2 trials)
• COVID (2 trials)
• HIV infections (2 trials)
• Urea cycle disorder (2 trials)
• Pain (2 trials)
• HIV (2 trials)
• Appendicitis (1 trial)
• Alzheimer disease (1 trial)
• Adult congenital heart disease (1 trial)
• ASS deficiency (1 trial)

This report focuses solely on Washington D.C., as no other cities within the District of Columbia were identified with active trials for this period.

As we move through May, Washington D.C.'s robust research community will continue to drive medical innovation, offering diverse opportunities for individuals to contribute to the future of healthcare.