The Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) public portal is a new European tool that allows anyone to access information about clinical trials taking place in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA). Managed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the portal was created under the Clinical Trials Regulation (EU No 536/2014) to improve the transparency, efficiency, and coordination of clinical trials across Europe. The portal has been active since January 2022, while since 2025 it is mandatory that all clinical trials in the EU, including the ones approved under the old regulation are registered on CTIS.
The CTIS portal provides publicly accessible information on all clinical trials submitted through the system. This includes studies on common diseases, rare conditions, advanced therapies like gene and cell therapy, and trials involving children. By visiting the portal, users can search for trials by condition, country, phase, status, or even by keywords such as the medicine or sponsor involved. Each listed trial includes a summary of the study, its objectives, recruitment status, and—in many cases—an explanation written in lay language so it’s understandable to the general public.
The portal is particularly useful for patients and caregivers who are exploring treatment options or are interested in taking part in a clinical study. It offers a central and trustworthy overview of which clinical trials are open in which countries, including Slovenia, and what stage they are in. This makes it easier for patients to make informed decisions and for the public to follow how new medicines are being tested and developed.
For example, we wanted to know how many trials are currently active in the EU:
- active CTs in all of EU: 7752
- active CTs in rare diseases: 1610
- active CTs in rare cancers (neoplasms): 510
- active CTs in rare cancers in Slovenia: 2
Here’s how the results for the last search look like:
Each of the trials comes with detailed documentation, that can be downloaded and studied. CTIS is a key transparency measure. By making clinical trial data publicly available, it builds trust in the research process, ensures accountability, and allows for better patient advocacy. Even if you’re not directly involved in research or healthcare, CTIS is a useful resource to learn more about medical innovation in Europe.
The public portal is available at www.clinicaltrials.eu. It can be used without registration and is open to everyone. By offering a clear window into the world of clinical research, CTIS represents a major step forward in open science and patient empowerment.