Endometriosis affects roughly 10% of women of reproductive age, causing tissue similar to the uterine lining to grow outside the uterus. Current treatment includes hormonal suppression, pain management, and surgery to remove visible lesions. Many people wait years for diagnosis and continue to experience pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life despite treatment.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing GnRH antagonists that lower estrogen without severe side effects, anti-inflammatory drugs targeting specific pain pathways, drugs that block nerve growth into lesions, and non-hormonal approaches for people trying to conceive. Researchers are also studying endometriosis biology to understand why lesions form and why some people have severe pain while others don't.
GnRH antagonists
Newer oral GnRH antagonists like elagolix and relugolix suppress estrogen with fewer bone density concerns than older drugs. Several trials are testing combination pills that add back small amounts of hormones to minimize side effects.
Pain pathway targets
Studies are testing drugs that block specific molecules involved in endometriosis pain, including nerve growth factor and inflammatory cytokines. These approaches aim to reduce pain without suppressing hormones.
Fertility treatments
Trials are testing whether surgery timing, specific IVF protocols, or medications like aromatase inhibitors improve pregnancy rates in people with endometriosis. Research is also examining how endometriosis affects egg quality and implantation.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on whether endometriosis has been surgically confirmed, pain severity, prior treatments tried, current hormonal medication use, and whether pregnancy is desired.
What types of trials are currently open
- Hormonal treatment trials — Testing new GnRH antagonists, progestins, or combination approaches to suppress endometriosis while minimizing bone loss and other side effects.
- Pain trials — Testing drugs that target nerve growth, inflammation, or pain signaling specifically, rather than suppressing hormones broadly.
- Surgical trials — Comparing surgical techniques, timing of surgery, or post-surgical medications to reduce recurrence and improve pain or fertility outcomes.
- Fertility trials — Testing treatments to improve pregnancy rates in people with endometriosis, often comparing surgical versus medical approaches or specific IVF protocols.
- Diagnostic studies — Testing blood tests, imaging techniques, or biomarkers that could diagnose endometriosis without surgery.
Recently added Endometriosis trials
Receive cold therapy sessions to help reduce endometriosis pain
The aim of this study is to investigate whether whole-body cryotherapy (a brief exposure to very cold temperatures) can help reduce pain and improve quality of life in people living with endometriosis, and whether it may represent a safe, non-pharmacological approach to managing endometriosis-related symptoms. Up to 30 participants with symptomatic endometriosis (chronic pelvic pain for more than six months) will be recruited over a 12-month period. Participants will attend two study visits at the hospital, approximately four weeks apart. Between these visits, participants will undergo five whole-body cryotherapy sessions, each lasting approximately 3 minutes. During cryotherapy, participants stand in a specialised chamber where the body is briefly exposed to cold, dry air (around -120°C). During the study, will be assessed changes in systemic inflammation and biological markers using blood, saliva, urine, vaginal, and stool samples. Data will be collected using questionnaires evaluating pain and related symptoms, quality of life, sleep, fatigue, intestinal symptoms, and overall wellbeing. The active study phase lasts approximately 4-6 weeks. A final follow-up assessment at 15 weeks will be conducted remotely using questionnaires and self-collected samples.
Receive electromagnetic field therapy to reduce endometriosis pain
This randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) on pain intensity, quality of life, and pelvic floor morphometric changes assessed by four-dimensional trans perineal ultrasound (4D TPUS) in women diagnosed with endometriosis. Participants will be randomly allocated into either a PEMF therapy group or a sham PEMF control group. Both groups will continue receiving stable standard medical care throughout the study period. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, after completion of the 8-week intervention period, and at 3-month follow-up.
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