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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 6 of 6
Study Evaluating the Effect of Desvenlafaxine on the Pharmacokinetics of Midazolam
Pfizer
NCT00952653
Brain Imaging of Psychotherapy for Depression
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
NCT00609453
Biomarkers of Antidepressant Treatment in Adolescents With Major Depression (The Adolescents MDD Study)
University of California, Los Angeles
NCT01185977
Extended Reality Behavioral Activation: An Intervention for Major Depressive Disorder
Stanford University
NCT05525390
Study of Naltrexone-Induced Blockade of Antidepressant Effects
Marta Peciña, MD PhD
NCT04322526
Ketamine for Depression: An MRI Study
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT02544607
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in the Treatment of Panic Disorder With Comorbid Major Depression
New York State Psychiatric Institute
NCT00521352
Beat the Blues in Pregnancy Study - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
University of Pennsylvania
NCT01492309
Nitrous Oxide as Treatment for Major Depression - a Pilot Study
Washington University School of Medicine
NCT02139540
Pilot Decentralized Trial
Alto Neuroscience
NCT05419869
A Pharmacokinetic Study of the Coadministration of LY2216684 With Sertraline
Eli Lilly and Company
NCT01250873
Mechanism of Action of tACS for the Treatment of MDD
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
NCT03994081
Pilot Study of Open-label Placebo to Treat Major Depressive Disorder
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT01103271
A Comprehensive Intervention for Diabetes and Comorbid Depression in Primary Care
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
NCT00939250
Sertraline vs. Venlafaxine XR
Vanderbilt University
NCT00179283
A Pilot Study of Creatine Monohydrate as an Augmenting Agent for ECT in Persons With Major Depressive Disorder
University of Utah
NCT04504253
Focal Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression
Medical University of South Carolina
NCT01589315
Dichotic Listening as a Predictor of Medication Response in Depression
New York State Psychiatric Institute
NCT00404755
Ketamine Infusion for Adolescent Depression and Anxiety
Yale University
NCT02579928
Double-blind Pilot Trial of Mirtazapine for the Treatment of Co-occurring AD/MDD.
University of Pittsburgh
NCT02185131
ANC-501 in the Treatment of Adults With Major Depressive Disorder
Ancora Bio, Inc. d/b/a EmbarkNeuro
NCT05439603
5-hydroxytryptophan and Creatine for Treatment Resistant Depression Associated With Hypoxia in Females
Perry Renshaw
NCT02356107
Study of Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of NRX-1074 in Normal Healthy Volunteers
Naurex, Inc, an affiliate of Allergan
NCT02366364
TMS for Adults With Autism and Depression
Medical University of South Carolina
NCT02939560
Oral Tyramine Pressor Response Study of CX157 Tablets in Healthy Male Volunteers
CeNeRx BioPharma
NCT01633437
Burst Suppression Anesthesia for Treatment of Severe Depression
University of Utah
NCT02935647
Treatment of Young Adults With Comorbid AUD/MDD: A Pilot Medication Trial
University of Pittsburgh
NCT02646449
Feasibility Pilot of Accelerated Stimulation With TMS for Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (FAST-MDD)
University of Minnesota
NCT06961851
Study of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Depressed Teens
Paul E. Croarkin
NCT01502033
Investigating the Effectiveness of Telepsychiatry for Treating Major Depression in a Chinese American Nursing Home
Massachusetts General Hospital
NCT00505518
Duloxetine for Perimenopausal Depression
University of Arizona
NCT00517985
Comparison of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (t-DCS) and Sham Stimulation in Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression
University of Florida
NCT02141776
Dose-Optimized and Spaced Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression
University of California, San Diego
NCT06730841
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. 33 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.