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Condition (MeSH)

Lung Diseases, Obstructive

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 10,533 trials for Lung Diseases, Obstructive or a narrower condition beneath it. AstraZeneca has the most among industry and government lead sponsors, with 528.

MeSH D008173 Respiratory Tract Diseases C08
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Phase 1 Phase 1 716 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 164 Phase 2 Phase 2 1,169 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 107 Phase 3 Phase 3 1,180 Phase 4 Phase 4 936 Not applicable Not applicable 3,440 Observational Observational 2,816 Phase 1 Phase 1 716 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 164 Phase 2 Phase 2 1,169 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 107 Phase 3 Phase 3 1,180 Phase 4 Phase 4 936 Not applicable Not applicable 3,440 Observational Observational 2,816

Trials per phase (log scale)

2 more sections with rows

198 of the 10,533 trials are tagged with Lung Diseases, Obstructive itself; the rest are tagged with a narrower condition beneath it.

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The PDF carries up to 50 rows of each section, where the page shows the first few, with the sources listed. Enter a work email and confirm it from the message we send, and the report follows by email.

When did Lung Diseases, Obstructive trials start? (37)

Shown in this order: most recent first, 1990 onwards. 2026 is partial: trials registered with a 2026 start date so far, not a full year. 16 trials are registered to start in 2027 or later, and not listed here.

Trials over time, by phase

  • Phase 1
  • Phase 1/2
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 2/3
  • Phase 3
  • Phase 4
  • Not applicable
  • Observational
  • Other (Unknown)

Top of scale: 533

1990: 12 trials (Observational 9, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 1, Phase 2 1) 1991: 5 trials (Observational 4, Phase 3 1) 1992: 7 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 1, Phase 4 1) 1993: 9 trials (Observational 5, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 3) 1994: 8 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 2) 1995: 7 trials (Observational 6, Phase 3 1) 1996: 11 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 3, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 1, Phase 2 1) 1997: 12 trials (Observational 5, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 2, Phase 1 1) 1998: 31 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 3, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 10, Phase 2 5) 1999: 48 trials (Observational 26, Not applicable 6, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 7, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 5) 2000: 59 trials (Observational 24, Not applicable 6, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 17, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 4, Phase 1/2 1) 2001: 74 trials (Observational 21, Not applicable 17, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 15, Phase 2 12, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 1) 2002: 119 trials (Observational 14, Not applicable 20, Phase 4 17, Phase 3 53, Phase 2 13, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 1) 2003: 152 trials (Observational 18, Not applicable 35, Phase 4 27, Phase 3 47, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 18, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 1) 2004: 201 trials (Observational 40, Not applicable 41, Phase 4 36, Phase 3 41, Phase 2/3 6, Phase 2 26, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 8) 2005: 262 trials (Observational 65, Not applicable 49, Phase 4 35, Phase 3 45, Phase 2/3 5, Phase 2 41, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 18) 2006: 327 trials (Observational 62, Not applicable 63, Phase 4 57, Phase 3 58, Phase 2/3 10, Phase 2 51, Phase 1/2 9, Phase 1 17) 2007: 377 trials (Observational 96, Not applicable 67, Phase 4 60, Phase 3 51, Phase 2/3 5, Phase 2 55, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 36) 2008: 396 trials (Observational 72, Not applicable 84, Phase 4 44, Phase 3 46, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 90, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 51) 2009: 441 trials (Observational 110, Not applicable 115, Phase 4 42, Phase 3 54, Phase 2/3 11, Phase 2 64, Phase 1/2 9, Phase 1 36) 2010: 466 trials (Observational 110, Not applicable 98, Phase 4 43, Phase 3 57, Phase 2/3 8, Phase 2 85, Phase 1/2 11, Phase 1 54) 2011: 494 trials (Observational 120, Not applicable 132, Phase 4 47, Phase 3 74, Phase 2/3 5, Phase 2 67, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 42) 2012: 512 trials (Observational 117, Not applicable 137, Phase 4 48, Phase 3 75, Phase 2/3 7, Phase 2 81, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 40) 2013: 428 trials (Observational 86, Not applicable 139, Phase 4 42, Phase 3 60, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 48, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 39) 2014: 468 trials (Observational 101, Not applicable 158, Phase 4 51, Phase 3 63, Phase 2/3 7, Phase 2 41, Phase 1/2 11, Phase 1 36) 2015: 473 trials (Observational 111, Not applicable 162, Phase 4 44, Phase 3 57, Phase 2/3 6, Phase 2 60, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 29) 2016: 490 trials (Observational 118, Not applicable 204, Phase 4 51, Phase 3 35, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 37, Phase 1/2 9, Phase 1 35) 2017: 509 trials (Observational 160, Not applicable 182, Phase 4 41, Phase 3 37, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 46, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 34) 2018: 415 trials (Observational 128, Not applicable 157, Phase 4 33, Phase 3 37, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 32, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 20) 2019: 489 trials (Other 1, Observational 149, Not applicable 204, Phase 4 25, Phase 3 37, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 33, Phase 1/2 8, Phase 1 30) 2020: 372 trials (Other 2, Observational 144, Not applicable 142, Phase 4 20, Phase 3 14, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 23, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 17) 2021: 450 trials (Observational 158, Not applicable 158, Phase 4 33, Phase 3 26, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 29, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 36) 2022: 411 trials (Observational 120, Not applicable 183, Phase 4 16, Phase 3 27, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 32, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 26) 2023: 488 trials (Observational 160, Not applicable 219, Phase 4 18, Phase 3 29, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 32, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 23) 2024: 533 trials (Observational 171, Not applicable 233, Phase 4 30, Phase 3 27, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 35, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 31) 2025: 486 trials (Observational 150, Not applicable 196, Phase 4 23, Phase 3 29, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 52, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 28)

Trials registered with a start date in each year, 1990 onward, stacked by phase (complete years only; the current partial year is in the table's notes). The table below lists the same counts, most recent years first.

Trials started per year
Year Trials started
2026 (partial year) 403
2025 486
2024 533
2023 488
2022 411
2021 450
2020 372
2019 489
2018 415
2017 509

Showing 10 of 37 earlier years.

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Forecast of the full-year count, planned starts included, not rows of this table: about 480 trials starting in 2026 and about 480 in 2027, the average of the 24 months through September, counted as registered and carried forward. The rows of this table count trials registered so far with a start date in the year, planned starts included; the forecast looks ahead to the count for the whole year, so it is not the same measure. In backtests on conditions of this size, forecasts made part-way through the year were typically off by about 13 percent and ran about 12 percent low against the count later registered; forecasts made before the year began were off by about 19 percent and ran about 17 percent low against the count later registered, and had about the same error as repeating last year's count. These figures rest on a few years of history (target years from 2018 to 2025, varying by figure), place each condition as it is mapped today rather than as it was then, and score against a count for the newest year that was still being revised. Only condition series were scored.

Prediction, not a registry value: median of 36 months from start to primary completion across 605 trials still running at the 2026-10-09 snapshot; registered median of 18 months across 7,205 trials with a primary completion typed Actual. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov / AACT (CTTI), public domain.

What phase are Lung Diseases, Obstructive trials in? (10)

Shown in this order: phase order.

Show the trials by phase as a table
Trials by phase
Phase Trials
Phase 1 716
Phase 1/2 164
Phase 2 1,169
Phase 2/3 107
Phase 3 1,180
Phase 4 936
Not applicable 3,440
Observational 2,816
Expanded access 2
Unknown 3

How many Lung Diseases, Obstructive trials are recruiting? (11)

Shown in this order: the order a trial moves through, from not yet recruiting to unknown.

Trials by recruitment status
Status Trials
Not yet recruiting 326
Recruiting 790
Enrolling by invitation 59
Active, not recruiting 244
Completed 6,802

Showing 5 of 11 statuses.

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Status as registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Each trial is counted once.

Which lead sponsors run the most Lung Diseases, Obstructive trials? (9)

Shown in this order: most trials first. Lead sponsors the registry classes as industry, NIH, US federal, other government or network. A hospital or university the registry files as government can appear here. Sponsors it classes as academic or other are shown on the full page, because that class cannot separate an institution from a named investigator.

Lead sponsors
Sponsor Trials
AstraZeneca 528
GlaxoSmithKline 522
Boehringer Ingelheim 292
Novartis Pharmaceuticals 178
Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. 117

Showing 5 of 9 sponsors.

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Which drugs are being tested for Lung Diseases, Obstructive? (4)

Shown in this order: most trials first. One row per drug, matched to a single molecule under all its names, ranked by number of trials.

Drugs tested
Drug Trials
Montelukast 119
OPN-375 115
Formoterol 90
Albuterol 66

Interventions as named in the registry (11)

Shown in this order: most trials first.

Interventions as named in the registry
Drug Trials
Tiotropium bromide via (Spiriva® Handihaler®) 221
Budesonide EC 81
Drug: Omalizumab 69
Salmeterol MDI 63
Salbutamol MDI 60

Showing 5 of 11 interventions.

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These are the names sponsors entered on ClinicalTrials.gov that we have not matched to a single molecule. Some are drugs under a brand or code name; others are procedures, doses or arm labels.

Which serious adverse events do Lung Diseases, Obstructive trials report? (10)

Shown in this order: most subjects affected first. Subjects affected summed across trials, a cross-trial signal, not a rate.

Serious adverse events in this condition's trials
Adverse event Subjects affected Trials
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 14,751 303
Pneumonia 7,173 496
Invasive cancer of any type 4,851 1
Asthma 3,015 255
Major cardiovascular event 2,415 1

Showing 5 of 10 adverse events.

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Which publications cover Lung Diseases, Obstructive? (670)

Shown in this order: major-topic papers first, then newest, then most linked to trials.

Publications
Publication Journal Year Major topic
Effect of Face Masks on Gas Exchange in Healthy Persons and Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Annals of the American Thoracic Society 2021 Yes
Prevalence and burden of obstructive lung disease in the urban poor population of Ottawa, Canada: a community-based mixed-method, observational study. BMC public health 2021 Yes
Multiple breath washout (MBW) testing using sulfur hexafluoride: reference values and influence of anthropometric parameters. Thorax 2021 Yes
Oscillating devices for airway clearance in people with cystic fibrosis. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2020 Yes
Artificial intelligence in diagnosis of obstructive lung disease: current status and future potential. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine 2018 Yes

Showing 5 of 670 publications.

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Sub-conditions in MeSH (3)

MeSH descendants one level down with at least one trial, most trials first.

Not on this page

Not measured: delivery record.

Checked, with nothing recorded for this condition: prevalence and rare-disease identity.

Browse all condition evidence pages