Ongoing studies

• Condition: Perforation of a hollow organ , acute pancreatitis, acute cholecystitis, colonic diverticulitis, appendicitis
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of AI applications in terms of improving diagnostic accuracy and optimising prognostic assessments
• Study design: Retrospective cohort study
• Study description: This is not an interventional study, but a retrospective study (data have already been collected).
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON)

 

• Illness: Fatal side effects of vaccines and medicines
• Duration: 1 February 2026 – 31 July 2028
• Objective: To develop a module for investigating fatal vaccine and drug side effects within the National Autopsy Registry (NAREG); Collection of post-mortem data, including comparison cohorts; investigation of causes of death following mRNA vaccinations and immunotherapies; harmonisation of post-mortem standards in cases of suspected adverse drug reactions.
• Study design: Register
• Study description: This is not an interventional study.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Autopsies and Pathology (NATON)

• Condition: Post-COVID syndrome (PCS)
• Duration: 1 February 2026–30 June 2028
• Objective: To compare the effect of treating PCS in patients with significant fatigue using bupropion versus placebo on the severity of fatigue and overall physical function
• Study design: Adaptive platform study with randomised allocation to the intervention or control group
• Study description: The majority of patients recover from a COVID-19 infection without any apparent after-effects, but a significant proportion suffer from long-term effects known as Post-COVID syndrome (PCS). To date, there is no approved treatment and only the symptoms can be managed. The RAPID_ELAPSE study is investigating whether the drug bupropion helps to alleviate severe fatigue associated with post-COVID and improves the physical functioning of patients with post-COVID. Study participants will receive either bupropion (intervention group) or a placebo (control group) for 56 days. The effects of bupropion have already been investigated in other conditions involving severe fatigue and have helped many sufferers. Bupropion is an approved antidepressant belonging to the group of noradrenaline-dopamine reuptake inhibitors. By increasing the availability of both neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft, it can counteract disturbances in drive, concentration and motivation. Recruitment of outpatients.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), Study Network Infectious Diseases (SNID), NUM Methods & Biosamples Hub ( NUM-MB)
• Contact: Under ‘Locations’

Further information Entry in the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS)

 

• Condition: Candidemia
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To investigate the non-inferiority of a shortened course of treatment for candidemia
• Study design: Adaptive non-inferiority trial with randomised allocation to the intervention or control group
• Study description: Candidemia is a serious infection in which fungi enter the bloodstream. It can be life-threatening. Current guidelines recommend treating this infection for 14 days with an antifungal medicine (known as an ‘antimycotic’) once no fungi are detectable in the blood. However, this recommendation is not based on evidence-based, i.e. sound scientific evidence. The CanTEN study is therefore investigating whether a shorter course of treatment is just as effective and safe. The study is designed as a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, adaptive non-inferiority trial: It is being conducted across 25 university hospitals. Patients are randomly assigned to different treatment groups, and neither they nor the treating doctors know who is receiving the antifungal agent or the placebo, or for how long. The intervention group receives a 10-day course of treatment, whilst the control group receives a 14-day course of treatment with caspofungin. Should the interim analysis show that the 10-day treatment is not inferior, a further investigation will be carried out to determine whether a 7-day treatment is not inferior to a 10-day treatment. Recruitment of in-patient patients.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), Study Network Infectious Diseases (SNID), NUM Methods & Biosamples Hub ( NUM-MB)
• Contact:canten-sponsor@uk-koeln.de

Further information Entry in the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS)

 

• Condition: Infection of the spine and adjacent vertebral bodies (medical term: spondylodiscitis or vertebral osteomyelitis)
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To investigate the non-inferiority of an earlier switch to oral antibiotic therapy compared with prolonged intravenous antibiotic administration
• Study design: Non-inferiority trial with randomised allocation to the intervention or control group
• Study description: ‘Spondylodiscitis’ is a rare inflammation of the intervertebral discs and the adjacent vertebral bodies of the spine. The condition can be severe or even fatal and occurs primarily in older people with multiple pre-existing conditions. It is usually treated with antibiotics over a total of six weeks. In most cases, patients initially receive the antibiotics as an intravenous infusion for two weeks, followed by oral tablets. However, it is not yet clear exactly how long this intravenous treatment is actually necessary. Recent studies suggest that switching to tablets at an earlier stage could be just as safe and effective. The SWITCH-VO study is therefore investigating whether switching from intravenous antibiotic therapy to tablets after just 7 days is just as effective and safe as the standard practice of switching after 14 days. Study participants will receive oral antibiotic therapy after one week of intravenous antibiotic administration (intervention group) or oral antibiotic treatment after two weeks of intravenous antibiotic administration (control group). Recruitment of in-patient patients.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), Study Network Infectious Diseases (SNID)

Further information Entry in the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS)

 

• Condition: Penicillin allergy
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To investigate how a suspected penicillin allergy can be reliably verified, refuted and, where appropriate, removed from the patient’s medical records. The aim is to improve patient care, reduce antibiotic resistance and enhance the quality of life of those affected.
• Study design: An observational study on the use of a standardised algorithm for delabelling penicillin allergies and its effects within the context of routine clinical care.
• Study description: Around 10 per cent of the population have been diagnosed with a penicillin allergy – yet more than 90 per cent of these patients can tolerate penicillin antibiotics. The predominantly incorrect diagnosis of penicillin allergies leads to the use of less suitable antibiotics. This results in poorer treatment outcomes, longer hospital stays and contributes to antibiotic resistance. PENGUIN is a multicentre observational study being conducted at German university hospitals (not an interventional study). It investigates how a suspected penicillin allergy can be reliably verified, refuted and, where appropriate, removed from the medical record (‘delabelling’). Recruitment of in-patient patients with a penicillin allergy.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), Study Network Infectious Diseases (SNID)
• Contact: num-penguin@listserv.dfn.de

Further information Entry in the DRKS – German Register of Clinical Trials

 

• Condition: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To investigate whether combination therapy comprising a cell-wall antibiotic effective against staphylococci and (additive) fosfomycin is more effective than standard monotherapy in patients at high risk of complications or relapses.
• Study design: Adaptive platform study with randomised allocation to intervention or control groups. FOSFO-SNAP is a new study arm of the global SNAP Trial.
• Study description: The primary objective of the SNAP study is to investigate the effects of various therapeutic interventions on 90-day all-cause mortality in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia. Several treatment arms (‘domains’) are being investigated: the baseline antibiotic, an additional (additive) antibiotic, and an early switch to oral antibiotic administration versus continued intravenous therapy. Within each domain, there are various treatment options. Further treatment arms are being developed. Study participants will be randomly assigned to a treatment option within the domains for which they are eligible and in which their study centre is participating. The aim is to compare several currently used treatment options with one another. Recruitment of in-patient participants.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), Study Network Infectious Diseases (SNID)

 

• Condition: Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal bloodstream infections (VRE-BSI)
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To determine the incidence of nosocomial VRE-BSI in university hospitals and to identify associated risk factors that influence the development and course of VRE-BSI.
• Study design: Pilot case-control study / Prospective cohort study
• Study description: The PREVENT study investigates the occurrence and course of bloodstream infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), a type of bacterium that is resistant to many antibiotics. In bloodstream infections, these pathogens enter the bloodstream, allowing them to spread throughout the body and potentially cause organ damage. The PREVENT study is investigating how many of these VRE bloodstream infections occur in connection with hospital stays. Furthermore, the PREVENT study identifies factors that have a positive or negative influence on the course of the disease. Based on the results of the PREVENT study, the aim is to identify measures and influencing factors that have proven effective in preventing VRE bloodstream infections or detecting them at an early stage. PREVENT is not an intervention study. Recruitment of in-patient patients.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), Study Network Infectious Diseases (SNID), NUM Platform for Surveillance and Rapid Response (NUM-SAR)
• Contact:prevent@ukw.de

Further information Entry in the DRKS – German Register of Clinical Trials

 

• Disease: Recruitment is takingplace across five modules: bloodstream infections, respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal infections, central nervous system infections and infections caused by novel pathogens.
• Duration: 5 May 2025–30 June 2030
• Objective: The data and biological samples collected may help to tackle pressing challenges in infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness in a targeted manner.
• Study design: Prospective cohort study
• Study description: This observational study aims to collect standardised clinical data and biological samples from adults at university hospitals across Germany. In this way, a cohort will be established that combines clinical data, pathogen samples and biological samples. A pre-screening programme records infection-related hospital admissions, thereby helping to identify changes in pathogens at an early stage and respond to them swiftly. The SNID cohort is not an interventional study. Recruitment of outpatients and inpatients.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), Study Network Infectious Diseases (SNID), NUM Data Integration Centres (NUM-DIZ), NUM Methods & Biosamples Hub (NUM-MB)
• Contact:snid@sn.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de

Further information Entry on ClinicalTrials.gov

 

• Condition: Fatal infections
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To record fatal infections (particularly encephalitis, myocarditis, zoonoses, sepsis, post-infectious conditions) in the National Autopsy Registry (NAREG); investigation of pathophysiology (fatal zoonotic infections with a focus on Bornavirus (BoDV-1), systemic immune response in sepsis with multi-organ failure, post-COVID-19 condition as a model for long-term sequelae, pathology of multidrug-resistant pathogens (e.g. CPE)), harmonisation of post-mortem examination standards.
• Study design: Register
• Study description: This is not an interventional study.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Autopsies and Pathology (NATON)

• Disease: Diffuse adult gliomas
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To improve diagnosis, treatment planning and monitoring, and treatment outcomes for patients with brain tumours through the use of advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Study design: Prospective cohort study
• Study description: RACOON-AI Brain Tumor is a multi-centre, prospective collaborative project involving specialists and institutions in the field of interdisciplinary neuro-oncology. The project draws on specific expertise in neuroradiology, neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, data science and patient representation (through the non-profit patient organisation yeswecan!cer). This is not an interventional study. An MRI scan using study sequences will be performed. Outpatient recruitment is possible.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON), NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS)
• Contact: racoon.aibraintumor@unimedizin-ffm.de

Further information

 

• Condition: Solid tumours
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To investigate whether additional information derived from body composition analysis provides added value for assessing the prognosis in cancer patients
• Study design: Retrospective cohort study
• Study description: RACOON-COMPARE is a multi-centre study that analyses existing CT scans of cancer patients. The aim is to gain a better understanding of body composition (for example, muscle and fat proportions). The researchers wish to determine typical reference values and find out whether and how these values are related to patients’ chances of survival. This is not an interventional study, but a retrospective study (data has already been collected).
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON)
• Contact: compare-koordination@racoon.network

Further information

 

• Condition: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children and adolescents
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: The standardised, structured and nationwide evaluation of serious adverse events associated with paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, with a focus on pulmonary complications and bone health.
• Study design: Retrospective cohort study
• Study description: Acute lymphoblasticleukaemia (ALL) is the most common form of leukaemia in children. Thanks to continuously improving treatment strategies, survival rates for children and adolescents with ALL are rising steadily and now stand at over 90 per cent. As a result of this positive development, treatment-related and disease-related adverse events are increasingly coming under scrutiny. These refer to problems or complications that may arise from the disease itself or as a result of treatment, and which can therefore significantly impact health and increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. In children with ALL, treatment-related and disease-related adverse events include pulmonary complications, such as pneumonia caused by fungal infections, or effects on bone health, for example a reduction in bone density. The RACOON-INCLUDED study employs both retrospective and prospective approaches: existing data sets (retrospective cohort) are utilised, and new CT data are collected as part of lung cancer screening and routine care (prospective cohort).
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON)
• Contact: included@racoon.network

Further information

 

• Illness: Lung cancer
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To establisha reliable and quality-assured infrastructure to support national lung cancer screening (LCS) in Germany. A key element of the project is the integration of AI-supported detection systems to help identify and classify pulmonary nodules at an early stage, analyse lung structure and better assess the risk of malignant changes.
• Study design: Retrospective and prospective approaches: use of existing datasets (retrospective cohort) and collection of new CT data as part of lung cancer screening and routine care (prospective cohort).
• Study description: This is not an interventional study. Recruitment of outpatients is possible.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON)

Further information

 

• Disease: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To identify biomarkers for the early detection of HCC risk and to develop models for HCC risk stratification based on suitable biomarkers. The results are intended to form the basis for individualised MRI screening of the at-risk population.
• Study design: Retrospective cohort study
• Study description: This is not an interventional study, but a retrospective study (data have already been collected).
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON)

 

 

• Condition: Prostate cancer
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To develop a holistic approach to the early diagnosis of prostate cancer, incorporating radiological, clinical and genetic data
• Study design: Prospective cohort study
• Study description: This is not an interventional study. Outpatient patients may be recruited.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON), NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS)

 

 

• Disease: Tumours and metastasis pathways
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To record oncological post-mortem examinations in the National Autopsy Registry (NAREG), to investigate disease progression and metastasis, and to harmonise post-mortem standards
• Study design: Register
• Study description: This is not an interventional study.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Autopsies and Pathology (NATON)

 

 

• Illness: Illnesses that led to or contributed to the death
• Duration: 1 July 2025–30 June 2030
• Objective: The centralised recording of post-mortem examinations is intended to facilitate post-mortem-driven research. A post-mortem register provides access to disease-, organ- or trauma-specific data and biological samples, which is particularly important in the case of new or rare diseases.
• Study design: Register
• Study description: The National Autopsy Registry (NAREG) has evolved from the German COVID-19 autopsy registry (DeRegCOVID), which was established in April 2020 to centrally collect information on post-mortems of COVID-19 patients. NAREG is now intended to serve as a further development of DeRegCOVID and to provide a sustainable, generic and inclusive infrastructure or platform for post-mortem-driven research. This is not an interventional study.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Autopsies and Pathology (NATON)

Further information Entry in the DRKS – German Register of Clinical Trials

 

• Condition: Failure of vital organs ( “acute organ dysfunction”) – in particular the brain, heart, lungs, liver or kidneys – in critically ill patients in intensive care (adults and children of all ages)
• Duration: 1 February 2026–30 June 2030
• Objective: SN CritCare brings together the entire field of intensive care medicinewithin German university hospitals for the first time: 36 university hospitals with over 250 intensive care units. What makes this unique is that paediatric and adult intensive care medicine are conducting joint research across specialities – with no age limit. Such collaboration does not yet exist anywhere else. The aim is to find better treatments for critically ill patients – from newborns to the very elderly.
• Study design: SN CritCare is neither a single treatment trial nor a simple registry. It is more like a large-scale clinical practice study: data is collected specifically to address open research questions. Even in its first phase, the network is addressing more than 40 previously unanswered questions (gaps in knowledge) regarding the care of critically ill patients. The focus is on the failure of vital organs – the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. In addition, the network is investigating the opportunities that digital medicine will open up for the care of these patients in the future. This lays the foundation for high-quality studies, particularly for studies involving randomised allocation (technical term: a randomised trial, in which a computer randomly decides who receives which treatment).
• Study description: SN CritCare does not test any treatments itself. The network lays the groundwork to enable individual treatment trials – such as ADAPT-LUNG – to be carried out.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Study Network Critical Care (SN CritCare), NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Study Network (NUM SN)

 

• Condition: Acute respiratory failure (medical term: acute respiratory insufficiency): this is when the lungs are no longer able to supply the body with enough oxygen. People with this condition are seriously ill and require ventilation via a tube whilst in hospital.
• Duration: 1 July 2026–31 December 2028
• Objective: The study investigates two questions:
  • First question: It is unclear whether the breathing tube is best inserted through the nose or through the mouth. Both methods are used, but they have not been compared in a study involving adults for over 30 years. The study compares both methods and examines, amongst other things, how many people survive their hospital stay, how much sedation and cardiovascular medication is required, and how quickly patients resume breathing independently.
  • Second question: In cases of particularly severe lung failure, the study examines the optimal timing for the use of an artificial lung (technical term: ECMO – a device that oxygenates the blood outside the body). The main aim of this second question is to assess whether the flexible study design works in practice.
• Study design: Treatment is allocated at random (technical term: randomised trial): a computer randomly decides who receives which treatment. This ensures the groups are comparable and the results are reliable. The study design is flexible and can be adapted to the course of the disease (technical term: adaptive platform study). The study includes patients of all ages being treated in hospital – from newborns to the very elderly.
• Study description: The study compares existing treatments: endotracheal intubation via the nose or mouth, and the timing of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). No new medication or medical device is being tested.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Study Network Critical Care (SN CritCare), NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Research Network (NUM SN)

 

• Illness: Routineintensive care data from adult and paediatric intensive care units in Germany
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 December 2028
• Objective: To establish an intensive care register: automated, nationwide collection of routine intensive care data. This is intended to facilitate research; data can be made available for pandemic and crisis preparedness.
• Study design: Register
• Study description: This is not an interventional study. Recruitment of in-patient patients.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Acute, Intensive and Emergency Medicine (AKTIN), NUM Data Integration Centres (NUM-DIZ)
• Contact: num-rapid@med.uni-greifswald.de

Further information

 

• Condition: Sudden cardiac death
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To record post-mortem examinations relating to sudden cardiac death in the National Autopsy Registry (NAREG); to investigate the pathophysiology of myocarditis; to establish a national database on sudden cardiac death; to harmonise post-mortem standards
• Study design: Register
• Study description: This is not an interventional study.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Autopsies and Pathology (NATON)

• Condition: Deathsin intensive care
• Duration: 1 February 2026–31 July 2028
• Objective: To record deaths in intensive care in the National Autopsy Registry (NAREG), to investigate complications arising from intensive care, and to harmonise post-mortem standards
• Study design: Register
• Study description: This is not an interventional study.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Autopsies and Pathology (NATON)

• Condition: Patients in Emergency Departments
• Duration: 1 July 2025–30 June 2030
• Objective: To makeA&E data available for research, quality assurance and health surveillance
• Study design: Register
• Study description: The AKTIN Emergency Departments register enables the timely, resource-efficient use of data from the routine care of patients in Emergency Departments for quality assurance, healthcare research and surveillance. This is not an interventional study. Recruitment of outpatients possible: Collection of data from Emergency Departments.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? NUM Platform for Acute, Intensive and Emergency Medicine (AKTIN)

Further information Entry in the DRKS – German Register of Clinical Trials

• Condition: Ischaemic stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage in adults and children
• Duration: 1 February 2026–30 June 2030
• Objective: The cohort study aims to collect comprehensive and representative data on stroke care in Germany across the entire care pathway, to establish cross-site screening structures, to provide a research platform for open scientific questions, to assess the recruitment potential of various patient groups, and to support the planning and implementation of future clinical stroke studies.
• Study design: Prospective cohort study
• Study description: This is not an interventional study. Recruitment of in-patient patients.
• Which NUM platformsdoes the study use? Stroke Study Network (SN Stroke), NUM Clinical Epidemiology and Study Platform (NUKLEUS), NUM Data Integration Centres (NUM-DIZ), NUM Methods & Biosamples Hub ( NUM-MB), NUM Study Network (NUM SN), NUM Platform for Imaging Data (RACOON)