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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 5 of 6
Characterizing Psychological Consequences of Childhood Trauma
Emory University
NCT00209105
Effectiveness and Acceptability of MoodGYM in Treating Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Americans
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT01851967
Low Field Magnetic Stimulation in Mood Disorders Using the LFMS Device
Mclean Hospital
NCT00578383
Brain Function in Mentally Ill Adolescents
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NCT00025857
Transdiagnostic Psychotherapy for Veterans With Mood and Anxiety Disorders
VA Office of Research and Development
NCT01947647
Behavioral Activation + Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD and Comorbid MDD
United States Naval Medical Center, San Diego
NCT02874131
Antidepressant Effects on cAMP Specific Phosphodiesterase (PDE4) in Depressed Patients
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NCT00369798
FMRI Study of Performance During a Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task in Depression
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NCT00075296
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
Primary-Care Based Mindfulness Intervention
Emory University
NCT03922581
Hyperthermic Yoga for Depressive Symptoms
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT02607514
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Therapy in Major Depression
University of California, Los Angeles
NCT04507243
Dopamine Neurotransmission in Major Depression
Mclean Hospital
NCT01659814
Integrating Pharmacogenomic Testing Into a Child Psychiatry Clinic
University of Florida
NCT02855580
A Study of Ketamine in Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression
Janssen Research & Development
NCT01627782
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Major Depression
University of California, Los Angeles
NCT03556124
Reducing Suicide Risk in Adolescents and Young Adults Via a Psychobehavioral Intervention to Regularize Daily Rhythms
Yale University
NCT05317481
Trial of a Positive Psychology Intervention in Major Depressive Disorder
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT02004145
Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder Following Perinatal Loss
Brown University
NCT01867749
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
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
Biomarkers of Fast Acting Therapies in Major Depression
University of California, Los Angeles
NCT02165449
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
The Treatment of Depression With Yoga and Walking
Boston University
NCT02907476
Life Goals Behavioral Change to Improve Outcomes for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness
VA Office of Research and Development
NCT01244854
Testing the Effectiveness of a Computer-based Program for Depression
University of Texas at Austin
NCT01203683
Cognitive Training for Depression II
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
NCT01934491
Effectiveness of a Mobile Texting Intervention for People With Serious Mental Illness
University of Washington
NCT03062267
A Study of LY2216684 in Healthy Participants Receiving Albuterol or Propanolol
Eli Lilly and Company
NCT01263197
XEN1101 for Major Depressive Disorder
James Murrough
NCT04827901
Mechanistic Evaluation of Response in TRD (MERIT)
Axsome Therapeutics
NCT04608396
Mechanisms of Emotion Regulation Underlying Successful CBT in Depression
New York State Psychiatric Institute
NCT04328103
Open-Label of SPN-820 in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder
Navitor Pharmaceuticals
NCT06235905
CBT+ for Depression
University of Wisconsin, Madison
NCT06001346
rTMS for PTSD Comorbid With Major Depressive Disorder
Butler Hospital
NCT02273063
Patient Management of Depression Through Technology: a Study of Digitally Enabled Engagement
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
NCT03242213
Multiple Ascending Dose and Electroencephalography Trial of GATE-202 in Healthy Volunteers
Syndeio Biosciences
NCT05597241
Treating Smokers With Mental Illness
University of Minnesota
NCT03822416
Ketamine in the Treatment of Depression
Columbia University
NCT01558063
Tai Chi Training for Treating Depressed Chinese Americans
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT01263730
Pioglitazone in Patients With Mood Disorders
Stanford University
NCT01559857
Neural Correlates of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Depression
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT00812227
Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate in Residual Symptoms and Cognitive Impairment in Major Depressive Disorder.
Mclean Hospital
NCT01148979
A Relative Bioavailability Food Effect Study of LY03005
Luye Pharma Group
NCT03822065
Measuring Adherence to Medication for Depression and Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
NCT01430767
The Effects of Wellbutrin (Bupropion) on Residual and Cognitive Symptoms in SSRI-treated Depression
Mclean Hospital
NCT00125957
Frontal Hypoperfusion Effects on Antidepressant Outcomes in Late-Life Depression
Vanderbilt University
NCT01896934
A Study of LY2216684 and Digoxin in Healthy Subjects
Eli Lilly and Company
NCT01266590
Games to Overcome Late Life Depression
University of Washington
NCT02229188
Sleep-Disordered Breathing and PAP in Perinatal Depression
University of Michigan
NCT02507297
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.