Type 2 diabetes affects more than 500 million people worldwide. Treatment has expanded beyond insulin and metformin to include GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide, SGLT2 inhibitors, and combination therapies. Many people now achieve near-normal blood sugar with once-weekly injections or daily pills, though cardiovascular and kidney complications remain significant concerns.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing dual and triple incretin agonists that target multiple hormone pathways, drugs to preserve beta cell function early in disease, treatments for diabetic kidney disease and neuropathy, and continuous glucose monitors paired with automated insulin delivery. Researchers are also studying whether intensive early treatment can achieve sustained remission without medication.
Multi-receptor agonists
Drugs like tirzepatide activate both GLP-1 and GIP receptors, producing greater weight loss and blood sugar control than single-target drugs. Trials are now testing triple agonists that add glucagon receptor activity.
Beta cell preservation
Studies are testing whether early aggressive treatment can protect the insulin-producing cells that fail in diabetes. The goal is to intervene before permanent damage occurs.
Diabetic kidney disease
SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone have shown kidney protection, slowing progression to dialysis. New trials are combining these drugs and testing additional pathways to prevent kidney failure.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on A1C level, time since diagnosis, current medications, body weight, and presence of complications like kidney disease or heart disease.
What types of trials are currently open
- Medication trials — Testing new diabetes drugs or combinations to improve blood sugar control, often comparing them to standard treatments like metformin or GLP-1 agonists.
- Weight loss trials — Studies of medications, often GLP-1 or dual agonists, focused on achieving substantial weight loss in people with diabetes.
- Cardiovascular outcome trials — Long-term studies testing whether diabetes drugs reduce heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death, not just blood sugar.
- Kidney protection trials — Testing drugs to slow diabetic kidney disease and prevent progression to dialysis or transplant.
- Technology trials — Studies of continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and closed-loop systems that automate insulin delivery based on sensor readings.
Recently added Type 2 Diabetes trials
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Active Health Cohort Study
This is a multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study. Study participants will first be enrolled into the general population main cohort, and some eligible subjects will be invited to participate in a validation study for the consistency of estimated VO₂max. The overall study consists of the establishment of the main cohort and three major research modules: cardiovascular endpoint risk prediction, early warning of exercise-related cardiovascular event risk, and health reminder and behavioral feedback. In addition, a substudy is designed to enroll 300 patients with stable metabolic cardiovascular disease, aiming to verify the consistency between wearable-device-estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and the gold standard of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET), so as to evaluate the applicability and error structure of the device-estimated parameters in clinical populations.
Silica-Based Wound Treatment (Curi01) Plus Standard Care Versus Standard Care Alone for Chronic Diabetic Foot Wounds
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Curi01, a powder made of silica (silicon dioxide) particles, helps chronic, oozing diabetic foot ulcers heal when it is added to standard wound care. Curi01 is sprinkled directly onto the wound, where it soaks up wound fluid and forms a gel that is washed off at the next dressing change. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do more wounds heal completely within 12 weeks when Curi01 is added to standard wound care, compared with standard wound care alone? A wound counts as healed when it is fully closed and still closed 14 days later. Is Curi01 safe and well tolerated? Researchers will compare Curi01 plus standard wound care to standard wound care alone. Standard wound care includes removing dead tissue, cleaning the wound, non-medicated dressings and pressure relief for the foot if applicable. Participants will: Be adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who have an oozing foot ulcer (2 to 10 cm²) that has been present for at least 6 weeks and has not improved enough with standard wound care First receive standard wound care for 2 weeks to check whether the wound improves on its own Then be assigned by chance to one of the two groups; 2 out of 3 participants will receive Curi01 Visit the study site up to 18 times over about 14 weeks; in the Curi01 group, the powder is applied at each visit until the wound is dry Have their wound photographed and measured with a wound imaging app at each visit Answer questionnaires about their quality of life and how they feel their condition has changed Be asked about any side effects or health problems About 280 participants will take part at around 20 study sites in Germany. Participants and doctors will know which treatment is being given.
Find Type 2 Diabetes trials matched specifically to you
Answer 3 quick questions and we'll show you trials that fit your situation.