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ClinicalTrials.gov 109 recruiting now official registry

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
Phase 124Phase 257Phase 345Phase 429

Active & Recent Trials

283 total, page 5 of 6

COMPLETED 113 participants

Characterizing Psychological Consequences of Childhood Trauma

Emory University

NCT00209105

COMPLETED NA 112 participants

Effectiveness and Acceptability of MoodGYM in Treating Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Americans

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT01851967

COMPLETED NA 107 participants

Low Field Magnetic Stimulation in Mood Disorders Using the LFMS Device

Mclean Hospital

NCT00578383

COMPLETED 105 participants

Brain Function in Mentally Ill Adolescents

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NCT00025857

COMPLETED NA 105 participants

Transdiagnostic Psychotherapy for Veterans With Mood and Anxiety Disorders

VA Office of Research and Development

NCT01947647

COMPLETED NA 100 participants

Behavioral Activation + Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD and Comorbid MDD

United States Naval Medical Center, San Diego

NCT02874131

COMPLETED Phase 1 100 participants

Antidepressant Effects on cAMP Specific Phosphodiesterase (PDE4) in Depressed Patients

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NCT00369798

COMPLETED 100 participants

FMRI Study of Performance During a Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task in Depression

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NCT00075296

COMPLETED Phase 2 81 participants

Open Label Extension Assessing the Tolerability of BCI-024 in Combination With BCI-049 in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT00731653

COMPLETED NA 80 participants

Primary-Care Based Mindfulness Intervention

Emory University

NCT03922581

COMPLETED NA 80 participants

Hyperthermic Yoga for Depressive Symptoms

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT02607514

COMPLETED NA 72 participants

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Therapy in Major Depression

University of California, Los Angeles

NCT04507243

COMPLETED 71 participants

Dopamine Neurotransmission in Major Depression

Mclean Hospital

NCT01659814

COMPLETED 71 participants

Integrating Pharmacogenomic Testing Into a Child Psychiatry Clinic

University of Florida

NCT02855580

COMPLETED Phase 2 68 participants

A Study of Ketamine in Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression

Janssen Research & Development

NCT01627782

COMPLETED NA 66 participants

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Major Depression

University of California, Los Angeles

NCT03556124

COMPLETED NA 65 participants

Reducing Suicide Risk in Adolescents and Young Adults Via a Psychobehavioral Intervention to Regularize Daily Rhythms

Yale University

NCT05317481

COMPLETED NA 65 participants

Trial of a Positive Psychology Intervention in Major Depressive Disorder

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT02004145

COMPLETED NA 62 participants

Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder Following Perinatal Loss

Brown University

NCT01867749

COMPLETED NA 62 participants

Efficacy of Extended-release Quetiapine (Seroquel XR) as Adjunctive Therapy to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the Treat

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

NCT01971203

COMPLETED NA 60 participants

A Pilot Study of Citicoline add-on Therapy in Patients With Bipolar Disorder or Major Depressive Disorder and Amphetamine Abuse or Dependence

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

NCT00377299

COMPLETED Phase 1 60 participants

Biomarkers of Fast Acting Therapies in Major Depression

University of California, Los Angeles

NCT02165449

COMPLETED Phase 2 59 participants

Study Evaluating Desvenlafaxine Succinate Sustained-Release (DVS SR) In The Treatment Of Child And Adolescent Outpatients With Major Depressive Disorder

Wyeth is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer

NCT00619619

COMPLETED NA 57 participants

The Treatment of Depression With Yoga and Walking

Boston University

NCT02907476

COMPLETED NA 55 participants

Life Goals Behavioral Change to Improve Outcomes for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness

VA Office of Research and Development

NCT01244854

COMPLETED Phase 3 53 participants

Testing the Effectiveness of a Computer-based Program for Depression

University of Texas at Austin

NCT01203683

COMPLETED NA 51 participants

Cognitive Training for Depression II

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

NCT01934491

COMPLETED NA 49 participants

Effectiveness of a Mobile Texting Intervention for People With Serious Mental Illness

University of Washington

NCT03062267

COMPLETED Phase 1 48 participants

A Study of LY2216684 in Healthy Participants Receiving Albuterol or Propanolol

Eli Lilly and Company

NCT01263197

COMPLETED Phase 2 44 participants

XEN1101 for Major Depressive Disorder

James Murrough

NCT04827901

COMPLETED Phase 2 44 participants

Mechanistic Evaluation of Response in TRD (MERIT)

Axsome Therapeutics

NCT04608396

COMPLETED 41 participants

Mechanisms of Emotion Regulation Underlying Successful CBT in Depression

New York State Psychiatric Institute

NCT04328103

COMPLETED Phase 2 40 participants

Open-Label of SPN-820 in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder

Navitor Pharmaceuticals

NCT06235905

COMPLETED NA 40 participants

CBT+ for Depression

University of Wisconsin, Madison

NCT06001346

COMPLETED NA 40 participants

rTMS for PTSD Comorbid With Major Depressive Disorder

Butler Hospital

NCT02273063

COMPLETED NA 40 participants

Patient Management of Depression Through Technology: a Study of Digitally Enabled Engagement

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

NCT03242213

COMPLETED Phase 1 40 participants

Multiple Ascending Dose and Electroencephalography Trial of GATE-202 in Healthy Volunteers

Syndeio Biosciences

NCT05597241

COMPLETED Phase 2 38 participants

Treating Smokers With Mental Illness

University of Minnesota

NCT03822416

COMPLETED Phase 2 38 participants

Ketamine in the Treatment of Depression

Columbia University

NCT01558063

COMPLETED NA 38 participants

Tai Chi Training for Treating Depressed Chinese Americans

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT01263730

COMPLETED Phase 4 37 participants

Pioglitazone in Patients With Mood Disorders

Stanford University

NCT01559857

COMPLETED NA 35 participants

Neural Correlates of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Depression

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT00812227

COMPLETED Phase 4 35 participants

Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate in Residual Symptoms and Cognitive Impairment in Major Depressive Disorder.

Mclean Hospital

NCT01148979

COMPLETED Phase 1 34 participants

A Relative Bioavailability Food Effect Study of LY03005

Luye Pharma Group

NCT03822065

COMPLETED 33 participants

Measuring Adherence to Medication for Depression and Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

NCT01430767

COMPLETED Phase 3 32 participants

The Effects of Wellbutrin (Bupropion) on Residual and Cognitive Symptoms in SSRI-treated Depression

Mclean Hospital

NCT00125957

COMPLETED Phase 4 31 participants

Frontal Hypoperfusion Effects on Antidepressant Outcomes in Late-Life Depression

Vanderbilt University

NCT01896934

COMPLETED Phase 1 30 participants

A Study of LY2216684 and Digoxin in Healthy Subjects

Eli Lilly and Company

NCT01266590

COMPLETED NA 30 participants

Games to Overcome Late Life Depression

University of Washington

NCT02229188

COMPLETED NA 29 participants

Sleep-Disordered Breathing and PAP in Perinatal Depression

University of Michigan

NCT02507297

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Phase Distribution

PhaseTrial count
Phase 1 24
Phase 2 57
Phase 3 45
Phase 4 29

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.

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.

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.

Verify with NIH →

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.