81 Recruiting Trials
Clinical Trials
for Arthritis in California
81 clinical trials for Arthritis are currently recruiting participants at study sites in California. Study-related care is provided at no cost.
81
Recruiting trials
160
Study sites
56
Cities
58
Industry-sponsored
21
Phase 2
15
Phase 3
Arthritis clinical trials in California: what to expect
Arthritis trials are split by type. Rheumatoid arthritis studies test biologics, targeted pills and, more recently, cell therapies in people whose joints stay inflamed despite methotrexate or a biologic. Knee osteoarthritis studies test injections meant to slow cartilage loss, new pain medicines, devices and exercise and weight programs. Psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout each have their own trials, and a listing will always say which type it enrolls.
In California, recruiting arthritis studies are concentrated in San Diego, La Jolla, Los Angeles and La Mesa, with sites in 52 other cities. 58 of the 81 are run by a drug or device company, which usually means a larger study with travel reimbursement; the rest are academic or hospital-led.
Who arthritis trials usually look for
Rheumatoid arthritis trials count swollen and tender joints and measure inflammation in the blood at screening, and ask that a standard medicine has not worked well enough; methotrexate usually continues, while a current biologic is stopped after a washout. Knee osteoarthritis trials need an X-ray showing moderate damage, a pain score above a threshold, and no steroid or hyaluronic acid injection in the past few months; many set a weight limit. Ages are usually 18 to 80, and most trials exclude pregnancy and a recent serious infection.
What taking part involves
Screening includes a joint exam, blood work and X-rays or an MRI. Rheumatoid arthritis trials run six to twelve months with visits every four weeks for an injection or infusion and labs; placebo arms are common, with rescue rules so no one stays on an ineffective treatment for long. Osteoarthritis injection trials give one or a few injections at the site and follow you for six to twenty-four months with pain diaries and imaging. Exercise trials involve supervised sessions for eight to twelve weeks. Study care is free and visits are usually paid.
Questions worth asking the study team
Which of your medicines continue; how long any washout is; the chance of placebo and the rescue rules; how imaging is scheduled; and whether an extension lets everyone receive the active treatment.
Showing 20 of 81 recruiting Arthritis trials in California
A Study of Orforglipron (LY3502970) in Participants With Obesity or Overweight and Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee
Recruiting
This trial is looking for people who are 50 years or older and have osteoarthritis in their knee along with being overweight or obese. They should have tried to lose weight before but haven’t had success. However, if you've lost or gained more than 11 pounds recently, have diabetes, or a serious heart condition, you won’t be able to join.
Adipose-Derived Biocellular Regenerative Therapy for Osteoarthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for people with osteoarthritis in various joints. Participants will receive treatment using their own stem cells to help relieve pain and improve joint function.
A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safey of PTP-001 (MOTYS™) in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients (MOTION-P)
Recruiting
This trial is looking for men and women aged 40 to 80 who have knee pain from a condition called osteoarthritis and have had symptoms for at least six months. They need to be able to walk without help, and if they have extra fluid in their knee, that would need to be removed first. If you have severe obesity or pain in your other knee, this might not be the right study for you.
A Study of Zasocitinib in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis Who Have Not Taken Biologic Medicines
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults with psoriatic arthritis who have not taken biologic medicines. Participants will receive either the study drug, a comparator, or a placebo over a period of up to 60 weeks.
Efficacy and Safety of Eloralintide (LY3841136) in Participants With Osteoarthritis Knee Pain and Obesity or Overweight
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults who are at least 50 years old and have knee pain from osteoarthritis, as well as being overweight or obese. It’s important that they haven't had a recent heart issue or surgery for weight loss, and they shouldn’t have diabetes. Participants also need to have tried losing weight through diet without success.
A Study to Evaluate the Drug Levels, Efficacy, and Safety of Deucravacitinib (BMS-986165) in Pediatric Participants With Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for children with juvenile psoriatic arthritis who have not had success with previous treatments. Participants will take part in evaluations to help understand the safety and effectiveness of the drug Deucravacitinib.
Trial of Sequential Medications AfteR TNFi Failure in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who have not responded well to their current treatment. Participants will compare different medications to see which works best after a specific treatment has failed.
RA-PRO PRAGMATIC TRIAL
Recruiting
This trial is looking for people with active rheumatoid arthritis who have not improved with their current treatment. Participants will have the chance to switch to a different type of medication to see if it helps their condition.
Evaluation of Sonelokimab in Patients With Active Psoriatic Arthritis and Anti-TNFα Inadequate Response
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults with active psoriatic arthritis who did not respond well to past treatments. Participants will take sonelokimab or a placebo to see how well it works and if it is safe.
A Study of Zasocitinib in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis Who Have or Have Not Been Treated With Biologic Medicines
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults with psoriatic arthritis to test the drug zasocitinib. Participants will receive either zasocitinib or a placebo for up to 60 weeks.
Continuation Study of Zasocitinib in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults aged 18 and older who have completed a previous study involving a specific treatment for psoriatic arthritis. To join, you should have shown some positive results from that treatment and not have any other serious health issues that could confuse the results of the study. If your symptoms have worsened or if you’ve developed other skin problems, you won’t be eligible to participate.
Phase III Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of SL1002 for Osteoarthritis Knee Pain
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults with chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Participants will receive a single dose of SL1002 to evaluate its effects.
A Clinical Study of Tulisokibart (MK-7240) to Treat Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (MK-7240-013)
Recruiting
This trial is looking for people with a type of arthritis called radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Participants will take a medication called tulisokibart to see if it helps improve their symptoms compared to a placebo, which looks like the medication but doesn’t contain any active ingredients.
A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of RO7790121 in Participants With Moderate to Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Who Have Not Responded to or Who Cannot Tolerate Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and/or Janus Kinase (JAK Inhibitors)
Recruiting
This trial is looking for people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who haven't had good results with previous treatments or can't tolerate them. Participants will receive either the study drug or a placebo to see how it helps with their condition.
A Study to Investigate Efficacy and Safety of AZD1163 in Participants With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for people with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis. Participants will be evaluated for how well the medication AZD1163 works and its safety.
A Study to Evaluate Different Targeted Therapies for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have not responded to certain treatments. Participants will try new medications and attend regular check-ups to monitor their health.
A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of JNJ-88545223 for the Treatment of Participants With Active Psoriatic Arthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults with active psoriatic arthritis. Participants will take the study drug JNJ-88545223 to see how well it works compared to a placebo.
A Study of BMS-986528 in Participants With Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults with rheumatoid arthritis that is hard to treat. Participants will take a medication called BMS-986528 and help researchers understand its effects.
Study to Evaluate Tulisokibart in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis (MK-7240-015)
Recruiting
This trial is looking for adults with Psoriatic Arthritis who are experiencing active symptoms. Participants will take a study medicine called tulisokibart or a placebo to see if it helps reduce their symptoms better than the placebo.
A Chronic Pain Master Protocol (CPMP): A Study of LY4065967 in Participants With Osteoarthritis Pain
Recruiting
This trial is looking for people with knee pain from osteoarthritis to test a new treatment. Participants will need to meet specific health criteria to join the study.
Where the Arthritis studies are in California
Research sites running the most studies
- Horizon Clinical Research, La Mesa4 trials
- Artemis Institute for Clinical Research, Riverside2 trials
- Artemis Institute for Clinical Research, San Diego2 trials
- Desert Oasis Healthcare Medical Group, Palm Springs2 trials
- Diablo Clinical Research, Inc., Walnut Creek2 trials
- First OC Dermatology Research Inc., Fountain Valley2 trials
By city
Counts are recruiting studies listing at least one site in California, from ClinicalTrials.gov, refreshed every two days.
Arthritis clinical trials in California: common questions
How many Arthritis clinical trials are recruiting in California?
TrialFinder currently lists 81 recruiting Arthritis clinical trials with study sites in California. Results are updated regularly from ClinicalTrials.gov, the official U.S. registry of clinical studies.
Where are Arthritis clinical trials located in California?
Study sites for the Arthritis trials listed on this page include Huntington Beach, Valencia, La Mesa, Fountain Valley, Lancaster, San Francisco. Each trial page lists every participating site with contact details, so you can find the location closest to you.
Do I need insurance to join a Arthritis clinical trial in California?
No. Study-related care is covered by the trial sponsor at no cost to participants, including the study treatment, required lab tests and study visits. Many Arthritis trials in California also compensate participants for time and travel. Health insurance is not required to search or enroll.
How do I qualify for a Arthritis clinical trial in California?
Each study sets its own criteria based on age, Arthritis diagnosis details, prior treatments, current medications and general health. The fastest way to find out is to contact a research site directly — most will pre-screen you by phone in 10 to 15 minutes at no charge. You can also create a free TrialFinder profile to be matched automatically.
Which type of arthritis do trials enroll?
Each listing names one: rheumatoid, osteoarthritis (most often knee), psoriatic, ankylosing spondylitis or gout. Rheumatoid and knee osteoarthritis have the most recruiting trials.
Do I need to stop my arthritis medicine to join a trial?
For rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate usually continues and a biologic is stopped after a supervised washout. Osteoarthritis trials ask that you have had no joint injection for a few months and may limit daily pain medicine.
Are there arthritis trials that do not involve medicine?
Yes. Exercise, physical therapy, weight management, braces and devices, and diet studies all recruit, mostly for knee and hip osteoarthritis.
Arthritis Trials in Other States
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Helpful Reading
Are Clinical Trials Safe? What Patients Should Know
How clinical trial safety works — phases, IRB oversight, informed consent, and your right to withdraw — plus the real risks and questions to ask.
How to Know If You Qualify for a Clinical Trial
Every trial has eligibility criteria based on diagnosis, age, and medical history. Here's how to tell if you qualify — and what to do if you're not sure.
Clinical Trials Without Insurance: What You Need to Know
All guides →
Clinical trials cover the cost of study-related care, making them one of the few ways to access treatment without health insurance. Here's what's covered.
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About Arthritis Trials
Arthritis trials test biologics, JAK inhibitors, stem-cell therapies, and pain-management protocols for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.
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