Esophageal cancer trial activity in 2026
Esophageal cancer encompasses two biologically distinct diseases, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), that require separate monitoring strategies. With the live active and recruiting counts on this page, this is one of the most active GI oncology spaces in clinical development.
Critical signals to track:
- PD-1 + CTLA-4 dual checkpoint combinations in ESCC (following CheckMate 648, KEYNOTE-590 successors)
- HER2-targeted ADCs (T-DXd, RC48) in HER2-positive EAC and gastroesophageal junction cancers
- CLDN18.2-targeted therapies crossing over from gastric cancer into GEJ adenocarcinoma
- FGFR2b-targeted therapies in FGFR2b-amplified EAC
- Neoadjuvant and perioperative combination trials for resectable esophageal cancer
- Barrett's esophagus chemoprevention trials, a distinct, prevention-focused segment
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free plan, no credit card required. Monitor ESCC, EAC, and GEJ trial activity automatically.
Start Free: No Credit CardA primary completion date pushed out, enrollment cut, or a primary endpoint changed in the last 90 days. Active trials only.
| Trial | Warning signs | Status |
|---|---|---|
| A Study of Bispecific Antibody MCLA-158 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors NCT03526835 | Primary completion moved at least 2 years 5 months later Primary endpoints added | Recruiting |
52 more on the Trials at Risk page. See which trials →
Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials with a primary completion date in the next 180 days, as ClinicalTrials.gov estimates it today. Active trials only.
| Trial | Scheduled | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Safety of Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Patients With Dihydropyrimidine… NCT06245356 | Oct 22, 2026 · Estimated | Phase 2 |
70 more on the Completions page. See the calendar →
What we monitor for esophageal cancer
Configure a search profile to capture the specific esophageal cancer subtype and trial stage you care about:
- Condition keywords: "esophageal cancer", "esophageal squamous cell carcinoma", "esophageal adenocarcinoma", "Barrett's esophagus", "gastroesophageal junction", "GEJ cancer"
- Phase filter: Phase 1 for early pipeline, Phase 2/3 for late-stage and registration-enabling studies
- Sponsor filter: Industry-sponsored for competitive intelligence, or all sponsors
- Status filter: Recruiting only, or all active studies including not yet recruiting
The esophageal cancer treatment landscape in 2026
Immunotherapy consolidation in ESCC
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the dominant subtype globally and in Asia, has been transformed by PD-1 inhibitor approvals. The current generation of trials is testing dual checkpoint combinations, novel immune mechanisms (LAG-3, TIGIT), and immunotherapy plus radiotherapy in locally advanced disease. Companies with ESCC programs are monitoring competitor Phase 2/3 trial initiations closely, as this space is consolidating.
HER2-targeted opportunities in EAC and GEJ
HER2 overexpression occurs in approximately 20% of EAC and GEJ cancers. Following T-DXd's approvals in breast and gastric cancer, multiple programs are exploring HER2-targeted ADCs in esophageal adenocarcinoma. RC48-ADC, pertuzumab combinations, and novel bispecifics are all in active clinical evaluation, with several Phase 2/3 trials opened in 2025–2026.
CLDN18.2: from gastric cancer into GEJ
Zolbetuximab's approval in CLDN18.2-positive gastric/GEJ cancer has made claudin 18.2 a validated target. Multiple bispecific antibodies and CAR-T programs targeting CLDN18.2 are now entering Phase 1 trials, with GEJ adenocarcinoma as a co-primary indication alongside gastric cancer. This is a fast-moving target to track.
Perioperative and neoadjuvant evolution
Following CheckMate 577 (nivolumab adjuvant post-neoadjuvant CRT), the field is moving toward perioperative immunotherapy. Phase 2/3 trials adding checkpoint inhibitors to FLOT or CROSS-based regimens are actively enrolling, with results expected to reshape the resectable disease paradigm.
Who uses esophageal cancer trial monitoring
GI oncology BD and competitive intelligence teams
Companies developing assets across the upper GI tract, gastric, GEJ, and esophageal cancers, monitor trial registrations as the earliest signal of competitor program advancement in each subtype.
Thoracic and GI surgical oncologists
Surgeons at academic medical centers monitor perioperative trial registrations to identify multimodal treatment studies relevant to their resectable esophageal cancer patients.
Gastroenterologists managing Barrett's esophagus
Barrett's esophagus surveillance programs generate a high-risk population potentially eligible for chemoprevention trials. Gastroenterologists tracking prevention trial registrations can connect eligible patients with studies before malignant progression.
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Get the Free DigestFrequently asked questions
Can I track ESCC and EAC separately?
Yes. On Pro ($49/month, or $490/year), you can create separate profiles, one with "esophageal squamous cell" keywords and one with "esophageal adenocarcinoma" or "Barrett's" keywords. Each profile generates its own daily digest.
Does this include trials that also enroll gastric cancer patients?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists all conditions a trial enrolls. Studies that include both gastric and esophageal/GEJ patients will appear if your keywords match any of the listed conditions.
What DataLookout adds to ClinicalTrials.gov
ClinicalTrials.gov RSS feeds tell you that a study record was updated. DataLookout compares each record against the previous day across 13 tracked fields and tells you which one changed, with the old and new values, for every Esophageal Cancer trial on your watchlist. Each change is marked Stopped, Notable or Minor, so a trial being terminated does not read the same as a few sites being added.
873 active trials, 519 recruiting.
Industry sponsors run 169 of these trials. The rest are run by universities, hospitals, government bodies and other non-commercial sponsors. The table below lists the 5 largest of 118.
| Top industry sponsor | Active trials |
|---|---|
| AstraZeneca | 6 |
| Merck (MSD) | 6 |
| Pfizer | 6 |
| Sichuan Baili Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. | 5 |
| AbbVie | 4 |
| Trial | Status | Latest tracked change | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors Related to Esophageal Cancer NCT01035398 | Active, Not Recruiting | Completion pushed from Sep 2026 to Jul 2028 | 2026-10-08 |
| Lead-212 PSV359 Therapy for Patients With Solid Tumors NCT06710756 | Recruiting | Trial sites expanded: 11 → 16 locations | 2026-10-08 |
| Efficacy and Safety of Concurrent PD-1 Inhibitor and Radiotherapy With… NCT06342167 | Recruiting | Primary completion pushed from Jul 1, 2026 to Dec 1, 2026 | 2026-10-08 |
| Oral TGF-beta Receptor I Inhibitor Vactosertib in SOC Chemoradiotherapy for… NCT06044311 | Recruiting | Completion pushed from Jun 1, 2027 to Sep 2027 | 2026-10-06 |
| Intestinal Low-Dose Radiotherapy Plus Immunochemotherapy for Conversion of… NCT07339488 | Recruiting | Completion pushed from Nov 1, 2028 to Oct 30, 2029 | 2026-10-06 |
Each trial page shows every change DataLookout has recorded for that trial.
DataLookout checks ClinicalTrials.gov every day and records what changed on each trial: status, enrollment, phase, primary endpoint, completion dates, sites, sponsor, and the stated reason a trial stopped. Add a sponsor or a disease to your watchlist, or save any search, and the changes arrive in a daily or weekly email digest.
Free, $0 forever: 1 sponsor + 1 disease watchlist, 1 saved search in your email digest, track up to 5 individual trials, daily change detection, Trials at Risk (top 2 trials), the weekly report (top 3 trials). No credit card.
Pro, $49/month or $490/year: 10 sponsor + 10 disease watchlists, 10 saved searches in your email digest, track up to 25 individual trials, full Trials at Risk list, Completions calendar, the full weekly report, landscape reports, CSV export.