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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.
South Dakota's archive runs thin on volume
South Dakota indexes 273 in-state trials (p10 by registry volume among 52 states with sites). This is a compact local index (thin-volume · low-open) rather than a research hub -- use recruiting trials or methodology for anything beyond a local snapshot.
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