Yes. Copy the URL — it contains all parameters including search query and all active filters. Bookmark it or share with colleagues.

CTIS.eu is an independent search engine for the EU Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS). It provides a faster, more intuitive interface than the official EMA portal, with advanced filters and browse-by-category indexes.

Clinical Trials Search Help

Q: Is search case-sensitive?

No. 'cancer', 'Cancer', 'CANCER' all return the same results.

Q: Should I use search queries or filters?

Use both. Type the main keyword in the search box, then use the 25 advanced filters for precise criteria like phase, country, or recruitment status.

Q: How many filters can I use at once?

All 25 filters can be combined simultaneously. They use AND logic — results match all selected criteria.

Q: Why is endpoint search slower?

Endpoints contain large medical text fields. Smart Search excludes them for speed (~700-900ms). Use the endpoint: prefix or the Trial Endpoint filter when you specifically need endpoint search.

Basic Search

Single Keyword — Smart Search

Simply type a keyword. The system automatically searches across 8 main fields:

CT Number — e.g. 2024-516652-18-00
Protocol Code — study protocol identifier
Public Title — short public title
Full Title — complete scientific title
Medical Condition — disease or condition studied
Sponsor Name — organisation sponsoring the trial
Product Name — drug or product being tested
Country — country where trial is conducted

cancer
diabetes
Pfizer
Poland
2024-516652

Result: finds all trials containing that word in any of these 8 fields.

Speed: Smart Search is fast (~700–900 ms) because it searches indexed fields.

Note: Trial endpoints are not included in Smart Search (they are slow to search). Use the endpoint: prefix when you need to search endpoints — see Field-Specific Search below.

Exact Phrases (Quotes)

Use quotes "..." to search for an exact phrase:

"breast cancer"
"non-small cell lung cancer"
"phase III trial"

breast cancer — finds trials with both words anywhere (may be in different fields)
"breast cancer" — finds only when these words appear together

Boolean Operators

Combine multiple keywords using logical operators.

AND — both conditions must be met

cancer AND Poland
diabetes AND recruiting
melanoma AND phase3

Result: finds trials containing both words.

OR — either condition can be met

diabetes OR cardiovascular
cancer OR tumor
Poland OR Germany

Result: finds trials containing at least one of the words.

NOT — exclude a word

cancer NOT phase1
diabetes NOT insulin
melanoma -immunotherapy

Result: finds trials containing the first word but without the second.

Combining with Parentheses

(cancer OR tumor) AND Poland
(diabetes OR cardiovascular) AND (phase2 OR phase3)
cancer AND (Poland OR Germany OR Spain)

Parentheses control the order of operations.

Field-Specific Search

Limit your search to a specific field using field:value syntax.

Field	Searches in	Example
`title:`	Trial title (full and public)	`title:melanoma`
`condition:`	Medical condition / disease	`condition:diabetes`
`sponsor:`	Sponsor name	`sponsor:Pfizer`
`product:`	Product name / active substance	`product:insulin`
`country:`	Country where trial is conducted	`country:Poland`
`number:`	Trial CT number	`number:2024`
`endpoint:`	Primary / secondary endpoints (slower ~500 ms)	`endpoint:survival`

Endpoint search is slower (~500 ms) because endpoints are large text fields. Use only when you specifically need to search endpoint text. All other fields are fast.

Advanced Filters

25 filters available to narrow down results without typing complex queries. Click "Show Advanced Filters" below the search box.

Status & Location (3 filters)

Trial Status — Recruiting, Authorised, Completed, etc.
Country — select one or more countries
Country + Status — e.g. "Recruiting in Poland"

Trial Design (6 filters)

Phase — Phase I, II, III, IV
Therapeutic Area — Neoplasms, Cardiovascular, Diabetes, etc.
Trial Endpoint — text search in endpoints (same as endpoint: prefix)
Low Intervention — Yes / No
Rare Disease — Yes / No
Transitioned Trial — Yes / No

Participants (3 filters)

Participant Type — Patients, Healthy volunteers, Both
Age Group — In Utero, 0–17 years, 18–64 years, 65+ years
Gender — Male, Female, Both

Dates (3 filters)

Start Date From / To — trial start date range
Decision Date From / To — authorisation date range

Sponsors & Products (5 filters)

Sponsor Name — text search in sponsor name
Sponsor Type — Commercial, Non-commercial
Product Name — text search in product name
Product Role — IMP, Comparator, Placebo, Auxiliary
Orphan Drug — Yes / No

Safety & Results (5 filters)

Serious Breaches — Yes / No / Any
Serious Safety Events — Yes / No / Any
Urgent Safety Measures — Yes / No / Any
Results Available — Yes / No / Any
Layperson Summary — plain language results

Pro tip: Filters + Search = best results. Type a keyword (disease, sponsor, product) in the search box, then use filters to set phase, country, and status. Filters are easier to modify than complex query strings, and the URL captures all selections for sharing or bookmarking.

Common Examples

Scenario 1 — Recruiting trials in Poland

Click "Show Advanced Filters"
Country → select Poland
Trial Status → Recruiting
Click "Apply Filters"

Recommended: use filters — they're clearer and easier to combine.

Scenario 2 — Breast cancer, Phase III

Search box: breast cancer
Filters → Phase → select 3
Click "Apply Filters"

Scenario 3 — Trials with survival endpoint

Search box: cancer
Advanced Filters → Trial Design → Trial Endpoint: type survival
Click "Apply Filters"

Note: endpoint search is slightly slower but works correctly.

Tips & Best Practices

Start simple, then refine

cancer                          → Too many results
breast cancer                   → Better
"breast cancer" Poland          → More specific

Use quotes for multi-word phrases

Avoid: non small cell lung cancer — may match unrelated results
Better: "non-small cell lung cancer" — exact phrase match

Use filters instead of complex queries

Avoid: (cancer OR tumor) AND (Poland OR Germany) AND phase3 AND recruiting
Better: type cancer + use Country, Phase, Status filters

Filters are easier to read, easier to modify, and the URL captures all settings.

Useful tricks

Find trials from a specific year: number:2024 or use Date filters
Find rare disease trials: Filters → Trial Design → Rare Disease = Yes
Find trials with published results: Filters → Results Available = Yes
Find children's trials: Filters → Age Group = 0–17 years

Frequently Asked Questions

Is search case-sensitive?

cancer, Cancer, CANCER — all return the same results. No.

Should I use search queries or filters?

Use both. Type the main keyword in the search box, then apply filters for precise criteria. Filters are easier than complex query strings.

How many filters can I use at once?

All 25 if you want. Filters use AND logic — results match all selected criteria simultaneously.

Why is endpoint search slower?

Endpoints contain large medical text. They are excluded from Smart Search to keep it fast (~900 ms). Use the endpoint: prefix or the Trial Endpoint filter when you specifically need endpoint search (~500 ms).

Can I save a search?

Yes. Copy the URL — it encodes all parameters (search query + all active filters). Bookmark it or share with colleagues.

Do filters slow down the search?

No. Filters are indexed and very fast. Use as many as needed.

What is CTIS.eu?

CTIS.eu is an independent, non-commercial search interface for the EU Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS), operated by the European Medicines Agency. It is not affiliated with the EMA or the European Commission.

Search help & guide