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South Dakota: below-average open trial sites
85 of 273 in-state trials are recruiting (31%); below the 37% national average by 6 percentage points.
According to ClinicalTrials.gov-derived indexes, South Dakota sits in the lower half of US states by in-state trial count (#47 of 52 states by registered in-state trial count).
South Dakota: 273 US clinical trials with in-state sites, 85 recruiting.
South Dakota has 273 registered US clinical trials with a study site in-state, 85 of them currently recruiting (below the 37% national average by 6 percentage points). 58 of these trials are in Phase 3 (late-stage) and 72 in Phase 2. The most frequently studied condition in South Dakota is Breast Cancer, with 14 linked trials.
Thin-volume South Dakota archive
South Dakota indexes 273 in-state trials (p10 by registry volume among 52 states with sites). Treat this page as a compact local index (thin-volume · low-open), then jump to recruiting trials or methodology rather than expecting hub-scale coverage.
Below-average open enrollment
South Dakota still shows 85 recruiting of 273 in-state trials (31% open), but below the 37% national average by 6 percentage points, so archived statuses weigh heavier than the national baseline.
- 31%
- open (below national share)
- 85
- still recruiting despite cool share
- 72
- Phase 2 rows in this footprint
- 14
- top: Breast Cancer
Recruiting share is below the 37% national average by 6 percentage points. Counts include every study with at least one recorded site in the state. Registry reference only, not medical advice.
South Dakota vs all states by indexed in-state trial count
Where this state's ClinicalTrials.gov site count sits among every state with at least one listed trial (coverage density, not care quality)
273 Top 90% more indexed trials than 10% of 52 states
States, banded by indexed in-state trial count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-08-08
Key findings
What ClinicalTrials.gov does not surface for South Dakota on its own pages , computed from the registry mirror as of 2026-08-08. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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South Dakota open-enrollment share sits below the national baseline.
85 of 273 in-state trials (31.1%) are recruiting, against 37% nationally (-5.9 percentage points). Counts include every study with at least one recorded site in the state.
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Sioux Falls dominates South Dakota's trial geography.
Sioux Falls lists 199 of 273 in-state trials (72.9%) across 91 named facilities. Cities need five or more listed trials to appear here; locations are as filed by sponsors.
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Breast Cancer is the most-studied condition in South Dakota.
14 of 273 in-state trials (5.1%) list Breast Cancer. That is a local concentration figure, not a national disease ranking.
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South Dakota sponsorship is fragmented across many organizations.
Merck Sharp & Dohme appears on 13 of 273 in-state trials (4.8%). Sponsor identity is as filed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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113 South Dakota trials carry a completed status.
113 of 273 (41.4%) are completed. The open share above is the remainder that still lists recruiting.
By Status
| Status | Trial count |
|---|---|
| Completed | 113 |
| Recruiting | 85 |
| Active | 75 |
By Phase
| Phase | Trial count |
|---|---|
| Phase 2 | 72 |
| NA | 71 |
| Phase 3 | 58 |
| Phase 1 | 35 |
| Phase 4 | 4 |
Top Conditions
Top Sponsors
Where trials run in South Dakota
Sioux Falls carries 199 of South Dakota's 273 indexed trials (73%) across 91 named sites, ahead of Rapid City at 58. 5 cities clear five listed trials, together naming 132 distinct sites.
| City | Trials | Listed sites |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 199 | 91 |
| Rapid City | 58 | 29 |
| Watertown | 6 | 5 |
| Dakota Dunes | 6 | 5 |
| Brookings | 5 | 2 |
Distinct trials and named sites per city, as filed with ClinicalTrials.gov; cities under five trials omitted. Vintage 2026-08-08.
Volume low
South Dakota indexes 273 in-state trials (p10 by registry volume among 52 states with sites).
South Dakota: in-state trial volume sits in the thin tercile
Geography is concentrated: Sioux Falls alone accounts for 73% of South Dakota's indexed trials (199 of 273), with Rapid City a distant second at 58.
Phase mix: 58 Phase 3 vs 72 Phase 2 (balanced across stages).
Top condition: Breast Cancer (14 trials); top sponsor Merck Sharp & Dohme (13).
thin-volume · low-open figures (273 trials · 31% open) describe registry geography under the volume low read, not clinic capacity or protocol fit. Confirm status on ClinicalTrials.gov before acting.
States near South Dakota on in-state trial volume
Cross-state peers under the volume low read (thin-volume · low-open), not the same-state browse list.
Similar thin-volume peers (± open share)
- West Virginia · 277 trials · 36% recruiting
- Montana · 250 trials · 22% recruiting
- North Dakota · 235 trials · 19% recruiting
- Maine · 315 trials · 23% recruiting
- Hawaii · 437 trials · 26% recruiting
Similar low-open peers (± trial volume)
- Colorado · 31% recruiting · 5,273 trials
- District of Columbia · 31% recruiting · 2,316 trials
- Vermont · 31% recruiting · 191 trials
- Georgia · 32% recruiting · 5,195 trials
- Kentucky · 32% recruiting · 2,183 trials