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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 6 of 6

COMPLETED Phase 4 28 participants

Study Evaluating the Effect of Desvenlafaxine on the Pharmacokinetics of Midazolam

Pfizer

NCT00952653

COMPLETED NA 27 participants

Brain Imaging of Psychotherapy for Depression

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

NCT00609453

COMPLETED Phase 4 26 participants

Biomarkers of Antidepressant Treatment in Adolescents With Major Depression (The Adolescents MDD Study)

University of California, Los Angeles

NCT01185977

COMPLETED NA 26 participants

Extended Reality Behavioral Activation: An Intervention for Major Depressive Disorder

Stanford University

NCT05525390

COMPLETED Phase 4 25 participants

Study of Naltrexone-Induced Blockade of Antidepressant Effects

Marta Peciña, MD PhD

NCT04322526

COMPLETED Phase 4 25 participants

Ketamine for Depression: An MRI Study

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT02544607

COMPLETED Phase 2 25 participants

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in the Treatment of Panic Disorder With Comorbid Major Depression

New York State Psychiatric Institute

NCT00521352

COMPLETED NA 22 participants

Beat the Blues in Pregnancy Study - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

University of Pennsylvania

NCT01492309

COMPLETED Phase 2 21 participants

Nitrous Oxide as Treatment for Major Depression - a Pilot Study

Washington University School of Medicine

NCT02139540

COMPLETED Phase 2 21 participants

Pilot Decentralized Trial

Alto Neuroscience

NCT05419869

COMPLETED Phase 1 20 participants

A Pharmacokinetic Study of the Coadministration of LY2216684 With Sertraline

Eli Lilly and Company

NCT01250873

COMPLETED NA 20 participants

Mechanism of Action of tACS for the Treatment of MDD

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

NCT03994081

COMPLETED Phase 2 20 participants

Pilot Study of Open-label Placebo to Treat Major Depressive Disorder

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT01103271

COMPLETED Phase 4 20 participants

A Comprehensive Intervention for Diabetes and Comorbid Depression in Primary Care

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

NCT00939250

COMPLETED Phase 3 20 participants

Sertraline vs. Venlafaxine XR

Vanderbilt University

NCT00179283

COMPLETED Phase 3 18 participants

A Pilot Study of Creatine Monohydrate as an Augmenting Agent for ECT in Persons With Major Depressive Disorder

University of Utah

NCT04504253

COMPLETED Phase 2 17 participants

Focal Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression

Medical University of South Carolina

NCT01589315

COMPLETED Phase 4 17 participants

Dichotic Listening as a Predictor of Medication Response in Depression

New York State Psychiatric Institute

NCT00404755

COMPLETED Phase 4 17 participants

Ketamine Infusion for Adolescent Depression and Anxiety

Yale University

NCT02579928

COMPLETED Phase 2 16 participants

Double-blind Pilot Trial of Mirtazapine for the Treatment of Co-occurring AD/MDD.

University of Pittsburgh

NCT02185131

COMPLETED Phase 2 15 participants

ANC-501 in the Treatment of Adults With Major Depressive Disorder

Ancora Bio, Inc. d/b/a EmbarkNeuro

NCT05439603

COMPLETED Phase 4 15 participants

5-hydroxytryptophan and Creatine for Treatment Resistant Depression Associated With Hypoxia in Females

Perry Renshaw

NCT02356107

COMPLETED Phase 1 15 participants

Study of Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of NRX-1074 in Normal Healthy Volunteers

Naurex, Inc, an affiliate of Allergan

NCT02366364

COMPLETED NA 13 participants

TMS for Adults With Autism and Depression

Medical University of South Carolina

NCT02939560

COMPLETED Phase 1 12 participants

Oral Tyramine Pressor Response Study of CX157 Tablets in Healthy Male Volunteers

CeNeRx BioPharma

NCT01633437

COMPLETED Phase 1 11 participants

Burst Suppression Anesthesia for Treatment of Severe Depression

University of Utah

NCT02935647

COMPLETED Phase 2 11 participants

Treatment of Young Adults With Comorbid AUD/MDD: A Pilot Medication Trial

University of Pittsburgh

NCT02646449

COMPLETED Early Phase 1 11 participants

Feasibility Pilot of Accelerated Stimulation With TMS for Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (FAST-MDD)

University of Minnesota

NCT06961851

COMPLETED NA 10 participants

Study of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Depressed Teens

Paul E. Croarkin

NCT01502033

COMPLETED NA 9 participants

Investigating the Effectiveness of Telepsychiatry for Treating Major Depression in a Chinese American Nursing Home

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT00505518

COMPLETED Phase 4 7 participants

Duloxetine for Perimenopausal Depression

University of Arizona

NCT00517985

COMPLETED Phase 4 3 participants

Comparison of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (t-DCS) and Sham Stimulation in Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression

University of Florida

NCT02141776

COMPLETED NA 3 participants

Dose-Optimized and Spaced Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

University of California, San Diego

NCT06730841

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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. 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.

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.