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Major Depressive Disorder clinical trials
109 of 283 indexed Major Depressive Disorder trials are currently recruiting.
283 US clinical trials · 109 currently recruiting
Major Depressive Disorder is the subject of 283 registered US clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov, 109 of them currently open to new participants. 74 are in Phase 3-4 (later-stage) and 81 in Phase 1-2 (earlier-stage). The most active sponsor is Massachusetts General Hospital, running 19 of these trials.
The research picture
Major Depressive Disorder has 283 registered US clinical trials, 109 of them open to new participants right now, about 39% of the total.
- 109
- recruiting participants now
- 39%
- of trials open to enrollment
- 74
- in Phase 3–4 (later-stage)
- 19
- top sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
Active & Recent Trials
283 total, page 4 of 6
Safety and Efficacy of Levomilnacipran ER (F2695 SR) in Major Depressive Disorder
Forest Laboratories
NCT00969709
Efficacy and Safety of SR58611A in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (SIRIUS)
Sanofi
NCT00385307
Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NCT00590863
Fixed Dose Comparison of Escitalopram to an Active Comparator in Severely Depressed Patients
Forest Laboratories
NCT00384436
TC-5214 as add-on the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Targacept
NCT00692445
Deplin® P.L.U.S. Program (Progress Through Learning Understanding & Support)
Pamlab
NCT01369030
Comparison of Escitalopram Combination in Adult Patients With Major Depressive Disorder
Forest Laboratories
NCT00109044
Safety and Efficacy of Vilazodone in Adolescent Patients With Major Depressive Disorder
Forest Laboratories
NCT01878292
Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of Vilazodone in Major Depressive Disorder
Forest Laboratories
NCT01473394
Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Levomilnacipran ER in Pediatric Patients (7-17 Years) With Major Depressive Disorder
Allergan
NCT03569475
Can Genetics Predict Treatment Response to a Computerized Self-help Program for Depression?
University of Texas at Austin
NCT01818453
A 6 Week Study to Determine the Effectiveness of R228060 in Adult Subjects With Major Depressive Disorder
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C.
NCT00073203
Clinical Trial of Lumateperone as Adjunctive Therapy in the Treatment of Patients With Major Depressive Disorder
Intra-Cellular Therapies
NCT04985942
Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study of Vilazodone's Efficacy, Safety, and Biomarkers of Response in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Forest Laboratories
NCT00683592
Efficacy and Safety of SR58611A in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder
Sanofi
NCT00252330
A Study for Participants With Major Depression
Eli Lilly and Company
NCT00420004
Efficacy and Safety of SR58611A in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder
Sanofi
NCT00252356
Ziprasidone Augmentation of SSRIs for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) That do Not Sufficiently Respond to Treatment With SSRIs
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT00633399
A Study Of DVS SR In Treatment Of Children And Adolescent Outpatients With MDD
Pfizer
NCT01371734
A Study of Aripiprazole in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization
NCT00105196
Feasibility and ML Training Investigation of the Senseye DT for Diagnosis of Adults with PTSD
Senseye
NCT05717439
NeuroStar TMS Therapy System: Utilization and Outcomes
Neuronetics
NCT01114477
Genecept Assay™ vs. Treatment-as-Usual to Evaluate Efficacy of Assay-Guided Treatment in Adults With MDD
Genomind
NCT02634177
Phase 2b Study of ALTO-100 in MDD
Alto Neuroscience
NCT05712187
A Study of Pregnant and Postpartum Women With and Without Mood Disorders
Johns Hopkins University
NCT03615794
Comparing Group Therapies for Veterans With Depression and PTSD
VA Office of Research and Development
NCT03979040
ALTO-100 in MDD and/or PTSD
Alto Neuroscience
NCT05117632
A Comparison of Cognitive and Dynamic Therapy for Depression in Community Settings
University of Pennsylvania
NCT01207271
A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of REL-1017 as Monotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Relmada Therapeutics
NCT05081167
A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of REL-1017 as Adjunctive Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Relmada Therapeutics
NCT04688164
Study of Adolescence and Depression
Kaiser Permanente
NCT00523081
Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS) in Major Depressive Disorder
Wave Neuroscience
NCT01370733
Examination of Glutamate and mGluR5 in Psychiatric Disorders
Yale University
NCT02727972
Empower: tDCS for Major Depressive Disorder at Home
Flow Neuroscience AB
NCT05202119
Comparing Mobile Health (mHealth) and Clinic-Based Self-Management Interventions for Serious Mental Illness
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
NCT02421965
Incorporating Patient Treatment Choice to Improve Treatment Retention in Depressed Hispanics
New York State Psychiatric Institute
NCT00742573
Brain Regulation of Emotions in People With Depression and Anhedonia
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NCT00059579
African American Depression Intervention Trial (AADI)
University of Wisconsin, Madison
NCT01342536
AZD6765 Severe Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) IV
AstraZeneca
NCT00781742
Depression and Dopamine Transporter Function Study Using C-11 Altropane
Mclean Hospital
NCT01701141
Effects of Early Abuse on Adult Intimate Relationships
University of Texas at Austin
NCT01803802
ALTO-300 in Depression (ALTO-300-004)
Alto Neuroscience
NCT05157945
A Study to Evaluate ALKS 5461 in Subjects With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Alkermes
NCT01500200
Study of the Efficacy and Safety of LY2940094 in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
BlackThorn Therapeutics
NCT01724112
SMART Trial to Predict Anhedonia Response to Antidepressant Treatment
Mclean Hospital
NCT05537584
Contingency Management of Alcohol Abuse in the Severely Mentally ILL
University of Washington
NCT01567943
Goal Achievement After a Change to Vortioxetine in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder
Takeda
NCT02972632
Dose Escalation, Double-Blind Treatment With Duloxetine Hydrochloride Once Daily Dosing for Evaluation of Safety in Major Depression
Eli Lilly and Company
NCT00042575
A 12-Week, Placebo Controlled Trial of Ziprasidone as Monotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT00555997
A Study of Intermittent Doses of CERC-301 in MDD
Avalo Therapeutics
NCT02459236
Phase Distribution
| Phase | Trial count |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 24 |
| Phase 2 | 57 |
| Phase 3 | 45 |
| Phase 4 | 29 |
Top Sponsors
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, National Library of Medicine. Data is informational only.
Reading the Major Depressive Disorder Trial Landscape
283 indexed Major Depressive Disorder studies · 109 recruiting (39%).
Phase mix: 74 late (III/IV) vs 81 early (I/II).
Top sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital (19 trials), 9 others listed. 50 shown below, recruiting first.
How to read this condition's trial landscape
That ratio is a useful proxy for activity level: a high share of recruiting studies often signals that research interest is current and that new enrollment opportunities are appearing, while a low share typically means the field is dominated by completed or follow-up work where most participant spots have already been filled. These counts reflect the public registry only and include studies at every stage of design, so they should be read as an index of research attention rather than as a measure of treatment availability.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies focus on early safety signals, dosing, and preliminary effect, while Phase 3 studies are typically the larger efficacy and safety trials submitted toward regulatory review, and Phase 4 studies follow approved interventions in real-world use. A condition weighted toward later phases often reflects a mature research pipeline with several interventions already close to or past approval, whereas a heavier early-phase tilt suggests the field is still exploring new mechanisms and candidate approaches.
All figures are derived from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset maintained by the National Library of Medicine and are reproduced here for reference. Inclusion of a trial, sponsor, or intervention on this page is neither an endorsement nor a recommendation, eligibility, protocol changes, and site-level status can shift frequently, so always verify current details on ClinicalTrials.gov and consult a qualified healthcare provider before acting on anything you see here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many clinical trials are there for Major Depressive Disorder?
PlainTrial tracks 283 US clinical trials for Major Depressive Disorder, of which 109 are currently recruiting participants. Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov.
How do I find a recruiting trial for Major Depressive Disorder?
Use the trial list above filtered by "Recruiting" status, or visit our trial finder at /recruiting to search by condition and state. Always discuss trial participation with your healthcare provider before enrolling.
Is this data current?
Data is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and reflects our most recent data pull. Trial status may have changed since then. Always verify current information at ClinicalTrials.gov before making decisions about participation.
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (National Library of Medicine). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH/NLM) ClinicalTrials.gov AACT registry · 2026 Trial counts and statuses sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Sponsor counts include both industry and federal/academic sponsors.
Every figure on PlainTrial is rendered directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov registry, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates every registered trial for this condition, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.