How to Use the Clinical Trials Explorer

Step-by-step guide with real examples for pharma analysts, investors, and researchers.

1. Find all trials for a specific drug

You're researching Keytruda's clinical program and want to see every trial.

Type pembrolizumab in the search box (use the generic name for broader results)

Results appear automatically. You'll see trials across all phases and statuses.

Filter to Phase 3 + Recruiting to see what's actively enrolling.

Click any row to expand trial details — see primary endpoints, study arms, and risk flags.

Tip: Drug names on ClinicalTrials.gov use generic names (pembrolizumab), not brand names (Keytruda). If you search "Keytruda" and get few results, try the generic name.

2. Assess the competitive landscape for a disease

You want to know how crowded the breast cancer pipeline is and who the major players are.

Select Breast Cancer from the Condition dropdown.

Set Phase to Phase 3 and Status to Recruiting.

The Competitive Landscape bar at the top shows total trials, recruiting count, and top sponsors with trial counts.

Sort by Largest Enrollment to see the biggest trials first — these are often the pivotal studies that will drive market access.

Click a sponsor name in the expanded detail to see their Sponsor Analytics — total trial count, phase distribution, top conditions.

Tip: Click Save Search to save this filter combination. Next time you visit, click the saved search chip to instantly re-run it.

3. Find trials with published results

You're writing a report on obesity drugs and need trials that have actual data, not just plans.

Click the Obesity quick chip (or select from Condition dropdown).

Check the Has results checkbox.

Only trials with posted results appear. Each has a green "results" badge.

Expand a trial to see primary endpoints. Click the NCT ID link to view full results on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Click Export CSV to download the list for your report.

4. Compare competing drug trials head-to-head

Two companies have Phase 3 trials for the same condition. You want to compare their designs, endpoints, and enrollment.

Search for the condition (e.g., multiple myeloma). Filter to Phase 3 + Industry.

Check the checkbox on 2-3 trials you want to compare.

Click Compare Selected. A side-by-side table opens showing title, phase, sponsor, enrollment, primary endpoint, and study design.

Look at enrollment numbers — a trial enrolling 1,500 vs 300 gives you a signal about which sponsor is more confident in their drug.

Compare primary endpoints — different endpoints (PFS vs OS vs ORR) tell you about the sponsor's regulatory strategy.

Tip: You can compare up to 4 trials at once. The comparison fetches full details from ClinicalTrials.gov for each selected trial.

5. Look up a specific trial by NCT ID

You saw NCT02142738 mentioned in a conference presentation and want to know what it is.

Type NCT02142738 in the search box. The system detects it's an NCT ID and does an exact lookup.

One result appears: KEYNOTE-024, Merck's pivotal pembrolizumab trial in NSCLC.

Click the row to expand — see full summary, endpoints, study arms, risk flags, and related trials.

If "Pembrolizumab" appears as an indigo pill, click it to go to the Keytruda drug page on TheraRadar for patents, revenue, and competitive analysis.

Tip: You can also link directly: theraradar.com/dashboards/trials/?q=NCT02142738

6. Spot troubled trials using risk flags

You're evaluating a biotech investment and want to know if their lead program has warning signs.

Search for the company name or their drug candidate.

Expand each trial. Look for risk flags:

🔴

Terminated / Withdrawn — The trial was stopped or never started. Check if this was their only program in the indication.

🟡

Suspended — Paused, often for safety. Check the company's press releases for context.

⚠️

Past estimated completion — The trial should have finished by now but hasn't. Could mean delays, protocol amendments, or enrollment issues.

⚠️

Recruiting 3+ years — Either enrollment is slow (bearish), the record is stale (ClinicalTrials.gov data is self-reported), or it's a large rare disease trial (check enrollment target).

⚠️

Small Phase 3 — Under 30 participants for a Phase 3 trial is unusual and may not generate enough data for FDA approval. Exception: rare diseases with accelerated pathways.

✅

Results posted — Data is available. Click the NCT link to read the actual results on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Important: Risk flags are automated signals, not investment advice. A "Recruiting 3+ years" flag could mean the trial is troubled or simply that the ClinicalTrials.gov record hasn't been updated. Always cross-reference with company press releases, SEC filings, and conference presentations.

7. Track trials you care about

You want to keep an eye on specific trials and get a quick overview when you come back.

Find a trial and expand it. Click "Watch Trial". The button turns amber to confirm.

Use Save Search to save filter combinations you run regularly (e.g., "Phase 3 Breast Cancer Recruiting").

When you return to the Trials Explorer, your saved searches appear as chips below the search bar. One click to re-run.

Click Export CSV to download results for offline analysis or internal reports.

Feature Reference

Free Features

Search by drug name, NCT ID, sponsor, condition
Filter by condition, phase, status, sponsor type
Sort by recently updated, enrollment, date, completion
"Has results" filter for trials with posted data
Quick condition chips for one-click search
Drug pills linked to TheraRadar drug pages
Save up to 10 search combinations
CSV export (up to 20 rows)

Pro Features

Expand any trial for full details: summary, endpoints, arms, eligibility
Risk flags with detailed explanations
Compare 2-4 trials side-by-side
Sponsor analytics: phase distribution, conditions, status breakdown
Related trials: 5 similar Phase 3 recruiting trials
Watch trials for future monitoring
Competitive landscape summary bar
Unlimited CSV export

Upgrade to Pro