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Clinical trials in the Des Moines area

212 studies are recruiting volunteers at 80 research sites in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area.

Sites in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Waukee, Clive, Ankeny, Newton and 3 more towns.

#73 in the US for recruiting studies#2 in Iowa#71 in the US per resident

Studies recruiting
212
Research sites
80
Conditions studied
67
Studies per 100,000 residents
28.1

Conditions being studied

The conditions with the most studies recruiting in the area. A study can be for more than one condition.

  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma19 studies
  • Breast cancer17 studies
  • Lung cancer17 studies
  • Leukemia15 studies
  • Head and neck cancer13 studies
  • Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer)10 studies
  • Bladder cancer7 studies
  • Neuroendocrine tumor7 studies
  • Overweight and obesity7 studies
  • Prostate cancer7 studies
  • Kidney cancer6 studies
  • Gastric cancer (stomach cancer)5 studies
  • Liver disease5 studies
  • Melanoma5 studies
  • Multiple myeloma (MM)5 studies
All 67 conditions
  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma19
  • Breast cancer17
  • Lung cancer17
  • Leukemia15
  • Head and neck cancer13
  • Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer)10
  • Bladder cancer7
  • Neuroendocrine tumor7
  • Overweight and obesity7
  • Prostate cancer7
  • Kidney cancer6
  • Gastric cancer (stomach cancer)5
  • Liver disease5
  • Melanoma5
  • Multiple myeloma (MM)5
  • Pancreatic cancer5
  • Skin cancer5
  • Type 2 diabetes5
  • Brain cancer4
  • Cardiovascular disease4
  • Fatty liver disease (MASH/NASH)4
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)4
  • Sarcoma of soft tissue4
  • Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)3
  • Atrial fibrillation (AF)3
  • Crohn's disease3
  • Esophageal cancer3
  • Heart failure3
  • Migraine3
  • Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)3
  • Retinal degeneration3
  • Stroke3
  • Uterine cancer3
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)2
  • Congenital heart disease2
  • Diabetic eye disease2
  • Endometrial cancer2
  • Ischemic heart disease (IHD)2
  • Neuroblastoma2
  • Ovarian cancer2
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma2
  • Acne1
  • Amyloidosis1
  • Cervical cancer1
  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD)1
  • Depressive disorder1
  • Down syndrome1
  • Fallopian tube cancer1
  • Germ cell tumor1
  • Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)1
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)1
  • Hodgkin's lymphoma1
  • Hypercholesterolemia1
  • Influenza (flu)1
  • Intellectual disability1
  • Interstitial lung disease1
  • Liver cancer1
  • Macular edema1
  • Myelofibrosis1
  • Overactive bladder (OAB)1
  • Peripheral vascular disease1
  • Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder1
  • Traumatic brain injury1
  • Type 1 diabetes1
  • Ulcerative colitis (UC)1
  • Urethral cancer1
  • Urinary incontinence1

34 more studies are for conditions not yet in our catalog.

Whom the studies accept

The share of the area's studies open to each group. A study can accept several.

  • Adults 18 to 6496%
  • Adults 65 and over84%
  • Children and teens (under 18)20%
  • Healthy volunteers6%
  • Open to all sexes94%
  • Women only3%
  • Men only2%

5 studies are for children only.

Study phases

Earlier phases test safety in fewer people; later phases compare a treatment with the usual care in many.

  • Phase 10%
  • Phase 1/21%
  • Phase 223%
  • Phase 2/33%
  • Phase 357%
  • Phase 40%
  • No phase (device, behavioral and other studies)9%
  • Not stated7%

Most active research sites

The sites recruiting for the most studies in the area.

  1. UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Laurel ClinicDes Moines79 studies
  2. UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Ankeny ClinicAnkeny78 studies
  3. UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Des Moines ClinicDes Moines78 studies
  4. UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - Waukee ClinicWaukee78 studies
  5. Iowa Methodist Medical CenterDes Moines77 studies
  6. UI Health Care Mission Cancer and Blood - West Des Moines ClinicClive71 studies
  7. Mercy Medical Center - Des MoinesDes Moines68 studies
  8. Broadlawns Medical CenterDes Moines40 studies
  9. Mercy Cancer Center-West LakesClive40 studies
  10. Mercy Medical Center-West LakesWest Des Moines33 studies
  11. Blank Children's HospitalDes Moines25 studies
  12. The Iowa Clinic PCWest Des Moines23 studies
  13. Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology Research CenterWest Des Moines7 studies
  14. MercyOne Iowa Heart CenterWest Des Moines7 studies
  15. Mission Cancer + BloodWaukee6 studies

Cite these figures

Free to use under CC BY 4.0. Please credit LocalTrial with a link to this page.

As text

Source: LocalTrial, Clinical trials in the Des Moines area, https://www.localtrial.com/clinical-trials/iowa/des-moines, updated November 12, 2026.

With the link, for a web page

Source: <a href="https://www.localtrial.com/clinical-trials/iowa/des-moines">LocalTrial, Clinical trials in the Des Moines area</a>, updated November 12, 2026.

About these figures

Counted from ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. registry of clinical studies, for studies recruiting in the United States. A study is counted once however many sites it has in the area.

The area is the U.S. Census Bureau's Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area. Residents: 753,913, the Census Bureau's latest estimate. Updated November 12, 2026.

These figures describe studies, not advice. Talk to your doctor before joining one.

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