# ClinicalTrials.gov Search: Studies by NCT, Condition (`lepidata/clinicaltrials`) Actor

Search ClinicalTrials.gov studies by condition, drug, sponsor or status, or look up NCT IDs in bulk, via the official v2 API. Not medical advice.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/lepidata/clinicaltrials.md
- **Developed by:** [Lepi Data](https://apify.com/lepidata) (community)
- **Categories:** Other, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.10 / 1,000 studies

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## ClinicalTrials.gov Search: Studies by NCT, Condition

**What it does.** Searches the public ClinicalTrials.gov registry through its official API v2 by condition, intervention, sponsor, free text and status, or looks up a list of NCT IDs in bulk. Returns one row per study.

**Input** (from `.actor/input_schema.json`)

- `condition`, `intervention`, `sponsor`, `query` (other terms)
- `status`: e.g. RECRUITING or COMPLETED
- `nctIds`: bulk lookup (replaces the search)
- `maxItems`: search mode, up to 50,000

**Output fields**
`nctId`, `briefTitle`, `officialTitle`, `acronym`, `organization`, `overallStatus`, `whyStopped`, `phase`, `studyType`, `allocation`, `primaryPurpose`, `masking`, `conditions`, `keywords`, `interventions`, `leadSponsor`, `leadSponsorClass`, `collaborators`, `enrollment`, `enrollmentType`, `sex`, `minimumAge`, `maximumAge`, `healthyVolunteers`, `startDate`, `primaryCompletionDate`, `completionDate`, `firstPostDate`, `lastUpdateDate`, `locationsCountries`, `locationsCount`, `locations` (facility, city, state, country, status; up to 200), `hasResults`, `studyUrl`
Free status rows (not charged): `no-results`, `not-found`, `invalid-input`, `api-error`, `free-plan-limit`, `charge-limit-reached`.
Site contact names, emails and phone numbers are **not** returned.

**Example** (the build's prefill)
Input: `{"condition":"type 2 diabetes","status":["RECRUITING"],"maxItems":20}`

**Data source and compliance**

- Source: National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov API v2, public, no key). This is an independent Lepi Data tool, **not affiliated with or endorsed by NLM or NIH**. No NLM or NIH logos are used.
- **Not medical advice and not for clinical decisions, including whether to join a trial.** Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. government. Talk to a qualified professional.
- Returns structured study fields from the official API only. Attached documents (protocols, consent forms, statistical analysis plans) are not downloaded or returned.
- Respects the API's rate limits (about one request per 1.3 seconds) and backs off on errors.
- Free-plan accounts get up to 100 results per run.

**Pricing.** Pay per result, flat on every plan, no start fee. Free status rows are never charged.

# Actor input Schema

## `condition` (type: `string`):

Condition or disease, e.g. type 2 diabetes.

## `intervention` (type: `string`):

Drug, device or other intervention name.

## `sponsor` (type: `string`):

Lead sponsor or collaborator name.

## `query` (type: `string`):

Free-text search over the whole study record.

## `status` (type: `array`):

Only studies with one of these statuses.

## `nctIds` (type: `array`):

Look up these studies instead of searching. Unknown IDs get a free not-found row.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Search mode only.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "condition": "type 2 diabetes",
  "status": [
    "RECRUITING"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `items` (type: `string`):

All rows from this run.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "condition": "type 2 diabetes",
    "status": [
        "RECRUITING"
    ],
    "maxItems": 20
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("lepidata/clinicaltrials").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "condition": "type 2 diabetes",
    "status": ["RECRUITING"],
    "maxItems": 20,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("lepidata/clinicaltrials").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "condition": "type 2 diabetes",
  "status": [
    "RECRUITING"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20
}' |
apify call lepidata/clinicaltrials --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,lepidata/clinicaltrials"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/nf8jSKVR1XgO4HN3V/builds/qHL5AwC25EqdXAnMI/openapi.json