Diabetes Clinical Trials in China for International Patients
This only checks whether a trial route may be worth asking about. It is not guaranteed admission or enrollment.
China has active diabetes research across Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, including stem-cell-derived islet replacement, immune-cell therapies, exosome research, remission-focused drug studies, new medicines and investigational procedures. A registry listing is only the starting point. Most patients start with standard care. See diabetes treatment in China for what you can book today.
Short answer: several China diabetes studies are listed as recruiting, but
“Recruiting” does not automatically mean that an overseas patient can enroll.
The exact study site must confirm current screening, medical eligibility, nationality or residency rules,
language, required time in China and follow-up before travel is planned.
✓ Exact trial IDs
✓ Named hospitals
✓ Interventional vs observational separated
✓ International access shown separately
How Diabetes Clinical Trials in China Work for International Patients
A registered trial has its own protocol, recruiting status, sites and eligibility criteria.
A listing marked Recruiting does not mean that a specific patient is eligible, accepted or enrolled.
For an international patient, the safe route is:
identify the study → verify the registry and site → prepare records → contact the study site → complete study-specific screening.
Identify the exact study
Use the NCT, ChiCTR or other registry identifier rather than a headline, video or marketing name.
Verify the live record
Check the current registry status, study location, last update date and the specific China site.
Prepare screening records
Diabetes type, HbA1c, C-peptide when relevant, current therapy, complications and protocol-specific records may be needed.
Confirm site access
Ask whether the named site is screening now and whether it can practically handle an overseas patient.
Complete study screening
The investigator or study team — not ParkMega and not the registry listing — makes the eligibility and enrollment decision.
ParkMega can verify the route and prepare records; the investigator or study team decides eligibility and enrollment.
Diabetes Research in China: At a Glance
A 2025 Frontiers analysis identified 1,256 diabetes drug trials registered on China’s NMPA platform over the decade.
In that historical drug-trial dataset, 1,237 of 1,256 registrations were for Type 2 diabetes.
Current examples include islet replacement, CAR-T, cell-derived exosomes, medicines and investigational procedures.
Public registries often show medical criteria but do not establish whether a non-Chinese patient can participate in practice.
Historical landscape data: 2013–2023. Current trial examples last reviewed: 20 September 2026. Trial-routing and verification layer updated: 24 September 2026.
Not Every “Diabetes Trial” Is a Treatment Trial
Search results mix treatment studies, registries, precision-medicine cohorts and published breakthroughs. Those categories answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable.
A treatment or procedure is being tested
Examples include RGB-5088, E-islet 01, anti-CD7 CAR-T, CNK-UT009, exosome therapy, new medicines and pulse-electric-field ablation. These studies have protocol-defined eligibility and safety monitoring.
Researchers collect data without assigning treatment
The China Diabetes Type 1 Study (CD1S, NCT05498974) is a nationwide registry/cohort project. It is important research, but it is not a stem-cell or drug-treatment trial.
Classification and long-term follow-up
NCT06320600 studies diabetes classification, multi-omics and precision diagnosis/treatment approaches. Participation does not mean receiving an experimental therapy.
Before Asking “Can I Join This Trial?” Check These Four Things
A trial can appear relevant by title and still be closed, not recruiting at the Chinese site, or unsuitable for a particular case. For international patients, trial access needs a current status check before travel planning.
Registry and site status
Check the live registry record, recruitment status, study location and the record’s latest update date.
Is the China site actually screening?
Confirm that the named Chinese site is screening now and ask whether it handles international patients.
Prepare trial-specific records
Start with the trial ID, diabetes type, recent HbA1c, C-peptide when relevant, current therapy and major complications.
Know who decides enrollment
Public criteria can guide preparation, but only the investigator or study team can decide eligibility and enrollment.
How to verify a trial before contacting the site:
use the live registry record to confirm recruitment status, location, study contact, inclusion/exclusion criteria and
the record’s latest update. A study marked Recruiting is only a candidate for further screening; it does not
mean that an international patient is eligible, accepted or enrolled.
Do not use old articles, videos or comments as recruitment evidence.
They can help discover a study or patient question, but they do not prove current recruitment, site activity or eligibility.
Current Diabetes Clinical-Trial Routes in China
Status rule: the table separates registry status from international-patient access.
The status labels below were last reviewed on 20 September 2026; they are not a substitute for a live
registry and site check. A public “Recruiting” label is not an invitation to book travel. Current screening must still
be confirmed by the exact site before records, travel or payment decisions.
| Trial / diabetes type | Approach | China site | Registry status | Broad eligibility signal | International-patient access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06731218 Type 1 · Phase I |
RGB-5088 stem-cell-derived islet-cell injection | Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin | Recruiting | Adults 18–60; severe T1D phenotype with very low stimulated C-peptide and protocol-defined hypoglycaemia history. | Not established publicly. Site confirmation required. |
| NCT07126873 Type 1 · Phase I/IIa |
E-islet 01 allogeneic regenerative islets | Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai | Recruiting | Adults with established T1D, impaired hypoglycaemia awareness and severe hypoglycaemia under protocol criteria. | Not established publicly. Overseas screening and follow-up must be confirmed. |
| NCT07528105 Type 1 · Early Phase I |
Allogeneic CD7-targeted CAR-T cell injection | Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai | Recruiting | Small early-stage T1D study focused on safety, cellular kinetics and preliminary biological effect. | Not established publicly. Must be confirmed by the study site. |
| NCT07051564 Type 1 · investigator-initiated |
CNK-UT009 cell injection | Zibo Central Hospital, Shandong | Recruiting | Adults 18–65 with autoimmune T1D, residual C-peptide and protocol-defined HbA1c/organ-function criteria. | Not established publicly. Site confirmation required. |
| NCT07693036 Type 2 · Phase I/II |
Human umbilical-cord MSC-derived exosomes | Peking University First Hospital, Beijing | Recruiting | Adults with T2D under a staged safety/efficacy protocol; planned enrollment 66. | Not established publicly. Foreign-patient screening must be confirmed. |
| NCT07678866 Type 2 · preliminary study |
Pulse-electric-field ablation system | Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai | Recruiting | Adults with T2D and suboptimal control under protocol-defined HbA1c, BMI and treatment criteria. | Not established publicly. Procedure and follow-up requirements need site confirmation. |
| NCT07599410 Type 2 · Phase II |
HRS9531 oral tablet vs placebo | Beijing Chaoyang Hospital; Qilu Hospital of Shandong University | Not yet recruiting | Adults with T2D and inadequate control under lifestyle alone or stable metformin, subject to protocol criteria. | No patient route should be assumed until recruitment opens. |
| NCT07374328 Type 2 · remission-focused |
Semaglutide-based vs sitagliptin-based triple regimens | Multicentre China study | Registry status needs re-check | Newly diagnosed T2D; the protocol studies diabetes remission rather than using “cure” as a marketing term. | Current recruitment and overseas participation must both be reconfirmed. |
| ChiCTR2600130840 Type 2 · Phase I |
Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem-cell injection. Not an E-islet transplant. | Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing | Registered · current screening to confirm | Selected adults with long-standing T2D and inadequate control under protocol-defined metabolic and risk criteria. | Not established publicly. Current site screening must be confirmed before travel. |
This is a curated patient-facing tracker, not a complete list of every diabetes study in China. It prioritizes studies that are relevant to common international-patient questions about islet replacement, stem/cell-derived therapies, remission, new medicines and difficult-to-control diabetes.
Large China Diabetes Studies That Are Not Treatment Trials
China Diabetes Type 1 Study
CD1S is a nationwide Type 1 diabetes registry/cohort study. The public record lists it as recruiting, with multiple sites across China and long-term follow-up of diabetes characteristics, metabolic control and complications.
Important: enrollment in this study is not enrollment in a stem-cell or drug-treatment protocol.
Precision Medicine of Diabetes Program in China
This program studies diabetes classification, diagnosis, longitudinal outcomes and precision-medicine approaches. It is an observational research program rather than an experimental therapy being assigned to participants.
Important: “clinical trial” search results can include observational cohorts as well as treatment studies.
Type 1 Diabetes Trials in China: What Is Being Studied?
Current Type 1 research in China is not one single “stem-cell cure.” Several distinct strategies are being tested, and each has different risks, eligibility rules and evidence.
RGB-5088
Stem-cell-derived islet replacement in a small Phase I study at Tianjin First Center Hospital.
E-islet 01
Allogeneic regenerative islets in a Phase I/IIa study at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital.
Anti-CD7 CAR-T
Early Phase I immune-cell research at Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai.
CNK-UT009
An investigator-initiated safety and preliminary-efficacy study at Zibo Central Hospital.
Looking specifically for Type 1 treatment in China?
Separate standard insulin/CGM/AID care from experimental islet replacement and immune-cell research.
Type 2 Diabetes Trials in China: What Is Being Studied?
Type 2 research is much broader than regenerative medicine. China’s clinical-trial landscape includes drugs, remission strategies, procedures, cell-derived products and large observational precision-medicine programs.
Combination drug strategies
Some studies use diabetes remission as a defined endpoint in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes.
HRS9531
A registered Phase II tablet study, with enrollment dependent on the registry/site opening recruitment.
MSC-derived exosomes
Peking University First Hospital is recruiting an exploratory Phase I/II study of hUC-MSC-derived exosomes.
PEF and MSC research
Shanghai PEF research and Beijing Tongren MSC research represent two very different experimental approaches. ChiCTR2600130840 is an adipose-derived mesenchymal stem-cell injection record in type 2 diabetes, not an E-islet treatment. The immune-system barrier in type 1 diabetes is explained on the China stem-cell evidence page.
Looking specifically for Type 2 treatment in China?
Our Type 2 guide separates established care, remission, complications, metabolic treatment and experimental research.
Can Foreign Patients Join Diabetes Clinical Trials in China?
Sometimes — but the registry rarely answers the whole question.
A trial may be recruiting in China while still being impractical for an overseas patient because of language,
residency, insurance, repeated follow-up, inpatient monitoring or protocol-specific logistics.
What the registry can tell you
- Study type and intervention
- Recruitment status
- Age and major eligibility criteria
- Named hospitals or study sites
- Planned follow-up and outcomes
What often still needs the site
- Whether non-Chinese patients can be screened
- Whether remote record review is possible
- English communication with the clinical team
- How long the patient must stay in China
- Which costs are covered by the study
What Medical Records Are Usually Needed for Trial Screening?
The exact protocol controls eligibility. These records are a practical starting set for a hospital or study team.
Type 1 diabetes
- Age and year diagnosed
- Latest HbA1c
- Fasting or stimulated C-peptide
- Pancreatic autoantibodies, if available
- Current insulin dose and delivery method
- Recent CGM report
- Severe hypoglycaemia / DKA history
- Kidney, eye, cardiovascular and transplant history
Type 2 diabetes
- Age, height, weight and BMI
- Year diagnosed
- Latest HbA1c
- C-peptide if available
- Current medication and insulin use
- Kidney and liver function
- Major complications
- Previous metabolic or bariatric treatment
Are Diabetes Clinical Trials in China Free?
“Clinical trial” does not mean “all expenses are free.” A protocol may cover the investigational intervention and research-specific tests while leaving travel and other expenses to the participant.
Protocol treatment and research tests
Coverage depends on the exact protocol and sponsor. Do not assume reimbursement until the site confirms it in writing.
Travel and living costs
Flights, visa-related costs, accommodation, local transport, companions and interpretation may remain the patient’s responsibility.
Non-protocol medical care
Extra consultations, unrelated tests, complications or treatment outside the protocol may be billed separately.
Does a China Trial Mean Diabetes Has Been “Cured”?
No routine cure is established by a headline or a single study.
Chinese researchers have reported important regenerative-islet and stem-cell-derived islet results, including
insulin independence in highly selected patients. Those milestones do not make the same intervention routine care,
prove permanent benefit for all patients or establish that an international patient can access the protocol.
Separate four things: a published case, an active clinical trial, an approved routine treatment and a commercial self-pay offer.
Clinical-Trial Red Flags for International Patients
No exact registry ID
If an offer uses the word “trial” but cannot provide a verifiable registry record, treat that as a major warning sign.
“Guaranteed cure” language
Early Phase I/II studies are designed to answer safety and efficacy questions; they are not guarantees of cure.
Payment before eligibility review
A legitimate study route should establish protocol fit and current site access before travel or large non-refundable payments.
No named hospital or investigator
The site, sponsor and study team should be traceable to an official registry or institutional source.
Commercial package presented as research
A paid package may be experimental, but it should not be presented as equivalent to a registered clinical trial without evidence.
No follow-up plan
Cell, immune and procedure studies can require repeated safety monitoring. A vague follow-up plan is a serious concern.
How to Verify a China Diabetes Trial Before Travel
Identify the exact study
Get the NCT, ChiCTR or Chinese drug-trial registry identifier rather than relying on a marketing name.
Read the protocol summary
Check diabetes type, age, C-peptide/HbA1c criteria, exclusions, treatment, site and follow-up.
Confirm the site is screening
Registry status can lag behind real operations. Confirm that the named China site is currently screening.
Confirm overseas access
Ask specifically about foreign-patient eligibility, English communication, required stay and study-covered costs.
Have a Trial ID or a China Diabetes Research Offer?
Send the trial ID or programme name together with your diabetes type, age, latest HbA1c, C-peptide if available, current treatment and major complications. A preliminary review can help identify whether the record is a treatment trial, an observational study or a commercial offer and what must still be confirmed with the site.
Final eligibility and enrollment decisions belong to the investigator and participating hospital.
Related Diabetes Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to common questions about China diabetes research and overseas-patient access.
Are there diabetes clinical trials in China in 2026?
Yes. Public registries list current interventional and observational diabetes studies in China. Treatment research includes islet replacement, immune-cell therapies, exosome research, medicines, remission strategies and investigational procedures. Each protocol has its own eligibility and recruitment status.
Can foreign patients join diabetes clinical trials in China?
Sometimes, but a public “Recruiting” label does not prove overseas-patient acceptance. The study site must confirm medical eligibility, nationality or residency rules, language, required time in China and whether follow-up is practical for an international participant.
What Type 1 diabetes trials are recruiting in China?
Examples reviewed in September 2026 include NCT06731218 (RGB-5088, Tianjin), NCT07126873 (E-islet 01, Shanghai Changzheng), NCT07528105 (allogeneic anti-CD7 CAR-T, Zhongshan Hospital) and NCT07051564 (CNK-UT009, Zibo). International-patient access must still be confirmed separately.
What Type 2 diabetes trials are active in China?
Current examples include NCT07693036 at Peking University First Hospital, NCT07678866 at Shanghai East Hospital and other registered medicine, remission and cell-therapy studies. Status varies by study and can change, so the exact site must be checked before travel.
Is the China Diabetes Type 1 Study a treatment trial?
No. NCT05498974 (CD1S) is an observational registry/cohort study designed to study Type 1 diabetes characteristics, metabolic control and complications. It should not be confused with a trial that assigns an experimental treatment.
Is there a cure for diabetes in China in 2026?
There is no routine cure available to every patient. Chinese research has produced important regenerative-islet and stem-cell-derived islet results in selected participants, but those outcomes remain experimental and should not be generalized to all people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Are stem-cell diabetes trials the same as commercial stem-cell treatment?
No. A registered clinical trial follows a defined protocol, ethics oversight, eligibility criteria and outcome collection. A commercial self-pay offer may be experimental but is not automatically equivalent to the intervention studied in a registered trial or published paper.
Do participants have to pay for a diabetes clinical trial in China?
It depends on the protocol. The investigational intervention and research-specific tests may be study-funded, while travel, accommodation, interpretation and non-protocol medical care may not be. The exact site should provide written information before travel.
What records should I send for diabetes trial screening?
Useful starting records include diabetes type and duration, age, latest HbA1c, C-peptide if available, current medicines or insulin dose, CGM data for Type 1 diabetes and summaries of major kidney, eye, cardiovascular or other complications. The trial site may request additional tests.
Which registry should I check for a China diabetes trial?
Depending on the study, useful sources include ClinicalTrials.gov, the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) and China’s NMPA drug-trial registration platform. The same research program can appear in more than one registry, and statuses may not update at the same time.
Does “Recruiting” mean I can enroll in a China diabetes trial?
No. Recruiting status does not guarantee that the specific Chinese site is currently screening foreign patients, that an individual patient meets the protocol or that the study team will accept the patient for enrollment. Screening is not enrollment.
What should I verify before travelling for a diabetes clinical trial in China?
Verify the live registry and site status, the record’s last update date, whether the named China site is screening international patients, the current screening contact, the records required by that protocol, expected time in China and which costs are study-covered. The investigator or study team makes the final eligibility and enrollment decision.
Primary Sources and Registry Records
Evidence-use rule: use the live registry and, where needed, the current study site to verify trial
status, location, contact route and eligibility criteria. Patient comments, videos and older articles can identify
questions or studies to investigate, but they do not establish current recruitment or patient eligibility.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06731218 — RGB-5088, Type 1 diabetes. Phase I at Tianjin First Center Hospital; public record lists Recruiting. Registry record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07126873 — E-islet 01, Type 1 diabetes. Phase I/IIa allogeneic regenerative-islet study at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital; public record lists Recruiting. Registry record.
- Chinese Academy of Sciences — regenerative islet programme update, March 2026. Official institutional update on autologous/allogeneic E-islet research and the E-islet 01 clinical programme. CAS update.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07528105 — allogeneic anti-CD7 CAR-T, Type 1 diabetes. Early Phase I at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; public record lists Recruiting. Registry record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07051564 — CNK-UT009, Type 1 diabetes. Investigator-initiated interventional study at Zibo Central Hospital; public record lists Recruiting. Registry record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07693036 — hUC-MSC-derived exosomes, Type 2 diabetes. Phase I/II at Peking University First Hospital; public record lists Recruiting. Registry record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07678866 — pulse-electric-field ablation, Type 2 diabetes. Investigational procedure at Shanghai East Hospital. Registry record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07599410 — HRS9531 tablet, Type 2 diabetes. Phase II study with Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and Qilu Hospital sites; public record reviewed in 2026. Registry record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07374328 — remission-focused Type 2 diabetes study. The study’s registry dates make a fresh status check necessary before any patient inquiry. Registry record.
- Chinese Clinical Trial Registry — ChiCTR2600130840. Phase I adipose-derived mesenchymal stem-cell research in Type 2 diabetes led by Beijing Tongren Hospital. Not an E-islet transplant. ChiCTR record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05498974 — China Diabetes Type 1 Study (CD1S). Recruiting observational nationwide Type 1 diabetes registry/cohort; not an interventional treatment trial. Registry record.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06320600 — Precision Medicine of Diabetes Program in China. Large observational precision-medicine research program rather than an assigned experimental treatment. Registry record.
- Ma Z. et al., Frontiers in Endocrinology (2025). Analysis of 1,256 diabetes drug trials registered on the NMPA platform from 2013–2023; 98.49% were Type 2 diabetes indications. Full article.
Update rule: trial status, site activity and overseas-patient access can change independently. Recheck the exact registry and the exact hospital before making travel or payment decisions.
Medical note: This page is for research navigation and medical-travel planning. It is not medical advice, a treatment recommendation or a guarantee of clinical-trial enrollment.
Send the Trial ID Before You Travel
If you have found a China diabetes study, send the exact trial ID or programme name together with your medical summary. The useful next question is not only “does this trial exist?” but “is this site screening now, do I fit the protocol, and can an international patient realistically participate?”
Whether a 2026 study result is peer-reviewed, a company update, or still investigational is a different job from this access tracker. The 2026 type 1 evidence hub holds that matrix. Trial tables stay here.
Check trial screening and foreign-patient access
This checks whether a trial route may be worth asking about. It is not guaranteed admission or enrollment. The study team decides eligibility. Current recruitment status must be confirmed from the official registry or trial site.