The obesity-drug race reaches Belgian clinics
13 trials target obesity or excess weight, 11 of them run by industry. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Roche test next-generation weight-loss drugs here, including in children and adolescents.
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By Arne Smolders, Founder & CEO, AcademicLabs · Published 9 October 2026 · Data as of 8 October 2026
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191 of the 398 trials run only in Belgium. Belgian universities and hospitals lead as many trials as industry, Brussels, Leuven and Ghent host the most studies, and 54% test something other than a new drug.
| Academic & hospital | 201 | 51% |
| Industry | 187 | 47% |
| Public & non-profit | 9 | 2% |
| Other / unclear | 1 | 0% |
clinical trials with Belgian involvement started or are scheduled to start in 2026.
run only in Belgium (191 trials). The rest are international.
have a Belgian sponsor, led by VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), UCLouvain and UZ Leuven.
are led by universities and hospitals (201), against 187 led by industry.
have a site in Brussels, the most of any city. Leuven follows with 160, Ghent with 104.
have a site in Flanders (280). Brussels: 172. Wallonia: 94.
oncology trials make it the largest disease area (20%), ahead of neurology (45).
of the 197 international trials also run in the United States, the most common partner country.
Trials with at least one listed site in each city. A multi-site trial counts once in every city where it runs.
| City | Trials | Share of all trials |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels | 172 | 43% |
| Leuven | 160 | 40% |
| Ghent | 104 | 26% |
| Antwerp | 79 | 20% |
| Liège | 57 | 14% |
| Roeselare | 30 | 8% |
| Hasselt | 26 | 7% |
| Bruges | 23 | 6% |
| Charleroi | 19 | 5% |
| Genk | 18 | 5% |
| Namur | 16 | 4% |
| Aalst | 16 | 4% |
| Yvoir (Mont-Godinne) | 15 | 4% |
| Kortrijk | 12 | 3% |
| Bonheiden | 11 | 3% |
| Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve | 10 | 3% |
| Mechelen | 9 | 2% |
| La Louvière | 7 | 2% |
| Sint-Niklaas | 5 | 1% |
| Ostend | 4 | 1% |
| Mons | 4 | 1% |
| Ieper | 3 | 1% |
| Dendermonde | 2 | 1% |
| Tournai | 2 | 1% |
| Geel | 2 | 1% |
| Brasschaat | 2 | 1% |
| Jolimont | 2 | 1% |
| Ninove | 1 | 0% |
| Arlon | 1 | 0% |
| Libramont | 1 | 0% |
| Verviers | 1 | 0% |
| Melle | 1 | 0% |
| Eeklo | 1 | 0% |
| Lokeren | 1 | 0% |
| Tongeren | 1 | 0% |
| Lier | 1 | 0% |
| Herentals | 1 | 0% |
| Steenokkerzeel (Melsbroek) | 1 | 0% |
| Tienen | 1 | 0% |
| Overpelt | 1 | 0% |
| Region | Trials with a site there |
|---|---|
| Flanders | 280 |
| Brussels-Capital Region | 172 |
| Wallonia | 94 |
Trials by registered start month. Starts after 8 October 2026 are planned dates, and registries keep adding trials after they begin, so the last months will still grow.
281 trials started in the first half of the year. March was the busiest month with 57.
| Month | Trials |
|---|---|
| January | 48 |
| February | 45 |
| March | 57 |
| April | 48 |
| May | 47 |
| June | 36 |
| July | 37 |
| August | 25 |
| September | 30 |
| October | 19 |
| November | 3 |
| December | 3 |
Oncology is the largest disease area. 54% of the trials have no drug-development phase: they test devices, surgery, diagnostics, apps and care pathways.
| Disease area | Trials | Academic & hospital | Industry | Public, non-profit or other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncology | 81 | 26 | 51 | 4 |
| Neurology | 45 | 26 | 16 | 3 |
| Cardiovascular | 42 | 22 | 19 | 1 |
| Musculoskeletal & rehab | 28 | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| Endocrinology or metabolism | 27 | 8 | 19 | 0 |
| Gastroenterology or hepatology | 24 | 10 | 14 | 0 |
| Multiple areas | 19 | 12 | 7 | 0 |
| Respiratory | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| Immunology or rheumatology | 16 | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| Rare or genetic disease | 15 | 2 | 13 | 0 |
| Hematology | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| Other | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Infectious disease | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Psychiatry | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Healthy volunteers | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Ophthalmology | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Kidney & urology | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Dental & oral | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Women's health | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Dermatology | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Phase | Trials |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 30 |
| Phase 1/2 | 10 |
| Phase 2 | 39 |
| Phase 2/3 | 6 |
| Phase 3 | 83 |
| Phase 4 | 14 |
| No phase (non-drug) | 216 |
| Intervention | Trials |
|---|---|
| Small-molecule drug | 65 |
| Medical device | 57 |
| Biologic or antibody | 55 |
| Other | 52 |
| Behavioral or digital intervention | 45 |
| Diagnostic or imaging intervention | 42 |
| Combination | 35 |
| Surgery or procedure | 26 |
| Supportive care | 14 |
| Radiation therapy | 3 |
| Vaccine | 3 |
| Cell therapy | 1 |
Lead sponsors of the 2026 trials. Academic and hospital sponsors lead 51% of all trials; most of them are Belgian institutions running studies at home.
| Lead sponsor | Trials | Type | Belgian |
|---|---|---|---|
| VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) | 26 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| UCLouvain | 26 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| UZ Leuven | 23 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| Boehringer Ingelheim | 16 | Industry | No |
| Ghent University | 16 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| Eli Lilly | 16 | Industry | No |
| KU Leuven | 13 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| Institut Jules Bordet | 11 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | 8 | Industry | No |
| ULiège | 8 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| Johnson & Johnson | 8 | Industry | No |
| Pfizer | 7 | Industry | No |
| UZA (Antwerp University Hospital) | 6 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| ZOL Genk (Hospital East-Limburg) | 6 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| Bayer | 6 | Industry | No |
| Incyte | 6 | Industry | No |
| AstraZeneca | 6 | Industry | No |
| MSD | 6 | Industry | No |
| Novo Nordisk | 5 | Industry | No |
| Roche | 5 | Industry | No |
| Sanofi | 5 | Industry | No |
| AZ Maria Middelares | 4 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| University of Antwerp | 4 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| Jessa Hospital | 4 | Academic & hospital | Yes |
| CSL Behring | 3 | Industry | No |
174 of 398 trials (44%) have a Belgian sponsor. 165 of these run only in Belgium. By contrast, 87% of industry-led trials are international studies with Belgian sites.
Trials that run only in Belgium are mostly academic studies. 87% of industry-led trials are international, most often sharing sites with the United States and Belgium's European neighbours.
| Scope | Trials | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium only | 191 | 48% |
| International | 197 | 49% |
| Belgian link unclear | 10 | 3% |
| Country | International trials | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 134 | 68% |
| Spain | 123 | 62% |
| France | 122 | 62% |
| Germany | 113 | 57% |
| Italy | 109 | 55% |
| United Kingdom | 95 | 48% |
| Netherlands | 89 | 45% |
| Australia | 80 | 41% |
| Canada | 75 | 38% |
| Japan | 69 | 35% |
| Poland | 68 | 35% |
| China | 52 | 26% |
| Argentina | 50 | 25% |
| South Korea | 48 | 24% |
| Brazil | 48 | 24% |
| Denmark | 44 | 22% |
| Austria | 44 | 22% |
| Czechia | 38 | 19% |
| Taiwan | 37 | 19% |
| Portugal | 32 | 16% |
Examples of what new clinical research in Belgium looks like this year. All are planned or ongoing; none has reported results yet.
13 trials target obesity or excess weight, 11 of them run by industry. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Roche test next-generation weight-loss drugs here, including in children and adolescents.
At Institut Jules Bordet, doctors measure how much radiation prostate tumours absorb during lutetium-177 therapy. In Leuven, a first-in-human study tests a PET tracer that could make Huntington’s disease visible in the brain.
UZ Leuven studies whether blood-based Alzheimer’s biomarkers change how general practitioners diagnose and refer patients with memory complaints, and whether they predict cognitive decline.
The Institute of Tropical Medicine runs a phase 3 rabies-booster study across four Belgian cities and follows people for two years after an mpox (MVA-BN) booster.
AZ Maria Middelares in Ghent tests single-port robotic hernia repair. Orsi Academy in Melle compares a hydrogel model with cadaver training for robot-assisted prostate surgery.
In Charleroi an AI system flags lymphoma patients at risk of skipping their oral therapy. At VUB a self-management app is tested against low-back pain in healthcare workers.
This report is an example of what AcademicLabs builds. Our AI reads every record and stays grounded in the source: no web searches, no facts from model memory, and every figure linked to its record. We make the same for any country, disease, target, technology or topic.
Contact usEvery trial in this report, with its AcademicLabs profile and its registry record.
All clinical trials in AcademicLabs with a listed location in Belgium and a registered start date between 1 January and 31 December 2026, as of 8 October 2026 (398 trials). Records come from public registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov, the EU Clinical Trials Register and the WHO trial registry.
AcademicLabs AI read each registry record on its own, with no web search and no facts from model memory, and answered a fixed set of questions: disease area, intervention, development stage, sponsor type, Belgian sites and Belgian sponsorship. Counting, city and region matching and every figure were then done in code. Lead sponsor type uses the first listed sponsor.
These are registered plans, not results. Most trials are recruiting or not yet open, and enrollment is missing for most records. In 12 trials no named Belgian city could be confirmed. Brussels covers the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region (including Jette, Anderlecht and Woluwe); Antwerp includes Edegem (UZA) and Wilrijk. Start dates and statuses are self-reported by sponsors.
AcademicLabs (2026). Clinical Trials in Belgium 2026. Arne Smolders. https://academiclabs.com/research-reports/belgium-clinical-trials-2026. Data as of 8 October 2026.
Data and figures are licensed CC BY 4.0: free to reuse with credit “Source: AcademicLabs”. Open the underlying search on AcademicLabs.
85 of the 398 trials name an investigator with a Belgian affiliation in the registry record: 90 researchers in total. Industry trials rarely name one, so this list mostly reflects academic and hospital-led studies.
| Investigator | Affiliation | Trials | Disease areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copine Sylvie | UCLouvain | 4 | Endocrinology or metabolism, Gastroenterology or hepatology, Healthy volunteers, Women's health |
| Bart Roelands | VUB | 3 | Healthy volunteers, Women's health |
| Eva Swinnen | VUB | 3 | Musculoskeletal & rehab, Other |
| Laurent Simar | UCLouvain | 3 | Endocrinology or metabolism, Gastroenterology or hepatology, Women's health |
| Andy Temmerman | KU Leuven | 2 | Dental & oral |
| Benjamin Javillier | Clinique Saint-Luc Bouge | 2 | Cardiovascular, Neurology |
| Christophe Beauloye | UCLouvain | 2 | Cardiovascular |
| Gwendolyn Portzky | Ghent University | 2 | Psychiatry |
| Laurent Servais | UCLouvain | 2 | Rare or genetic disease |
| Louise Deldicque | UCLouvain | 2 | Gastroenterology or hepatology, Women's health |
| Stijn Ghijselings | KU Leuven | 2 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| William Poncin | UCLouvain | 2 | Musculoskeletal & rehab, Respiratory |
| Wim Janssens | KU Leuven | 2 | Healthy volunteers, Respiratory |
| Yves Vandermeeren | UCLouvain | 2 | Neurology |
| Alexander De Greef | KU Leuven | 1 | Dental & oral |
| Alexandre Mottrie | Orsi Academy | 1 | Oncology |
| Amandine Everard | UCLouvain | 1 | Endocrinology or metabolism |
| Ana Belén Salamanca Castro | KU Leuven | 1 | Dental & oral |
| Ann Smeets | KU Leuven | 1 | Oncology |
| Annemiek Leeman | KU Leuven | 1 | Dermatology |
| Arnaud Philippot | KU Leuven | 1 | Psychiatry |
| Bertrand Tombal | UCLouvain | 1 | Oncology |
| Bruno Lapauw | Ghent University | 1 | Endocrinology or metabolism |
| Bruno Tassignon | VUB | 1 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| C. Van Aelbrouck | ULB | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Christine Desmedt | KU Leuven | 1 | Oncology |
| Céline Boudart | Hôpital Erasme (H.U.B) | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Daniel Langer | KU Leuven | 1 | Respiratory |
| Daphne Kos | VUB | 1 | Neurology |
| David James Tate | Ghent University | 1 | Oncology |
| David Ruttens | ZOL Genk | 1 | Respiratory |
| Dimitri Beeckman | Ghent University | 1 | Dermatology |
| Edwin Wouters | Institute of Tropical Medicine | 1 | Psychiatry |
| Elisabeth De Waele | VUB | 1 | Infectious disease |
| Evelien Van Roie | KU Leuven | 1 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| Filip Muysoms | AZ Maria Middelares | 1 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| Filip Raes | KU Leuven | 1 | Psychiatry |
| Florence Souard | ULB | 1 | Oncology |
| Florine Janssens | VUB | 1 | Multiple areas |
| Frédéric Lecouvet | UCLouvain | 1 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| Gabriel Liberale, MD, PhD | Institut Jules Bordet | 1 | Oncology |
| Geert Verheyden | VIB-KU Leuven | 1 | Oncology |
| Greet Cardon | Ghent University | 1 | Neurology |
| Guido Claessen | Hartcentrum Hasselt | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Guy Boecxkstaens | KU Leuven | 1 | Gastroenterology or hepatology |
| Hans Van Veer | KU Leuven | 1 | Respiratory |
| Harry (GH) Van Lenthe | KU Leuven | 1 | Immunology or rheumatology |
| Hazem Wafa | KU Leuven | 1 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| Hilde Beele | Ghent University | 1 | Dermatology |
| Ionut Tabolcea | ULB | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Irina Spacova | Antwerp Province | 1 | Respiratory |
| Jean Cyr Yombi | UCLouvain | 1 | Infectious disease |
| Jo Nijs | VUB | 1 | Multiple areas |
| Johan Verbraecken | University of Antwerp | 1 | Respiratory |
| Joke Spildooren | Hasselt University | 1 | Other |
| Jonathan Krygier | ULB | 1 | Dermatology |
| Kaat Desloovere | KU Leuven | 1 | Neurology |
| Karim Touihri | CHIREC Edith Cavell | 1 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| Karolien Termote | VUB | 1 | Ophthalmology |
| Kim Van Hoorenbeeck | Antwerp Province | 1 | Respiratory |
| Koen Huysentruyt | VUB | 1 | Gastroenterology or hepatology |
| Koen Milisen | KU Leuven | 1 | Multiple areas |
| Köppen | UZA | 1 | Ophthalmology |
| Laura Polastro | Institut Jules Bordet | 1 | Oncology |
| Laurens J. Ceulemans | KU Leuven | 1 | Respiratory |
| Laurens Liesenborghs | KU Leuven | 1 | Infectious disease |
| Laurent Pison | ZOL Genk | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Lorenz Seyssens | Ghent University | 1 | Dental & oral |
| Manon de Montigny | UCLouvain | 1 | Other |
| Marc Francaux | UCLouvain | 1 | Psychiatry |
| Marie Y. Detrait | Groupe Jolimont / Saint-Joseph (Gilly) | 1 | Oncology |
| Martine Piccart | Institut Jules Bordet | 1 | Oncology |
| Mathilde Devits | ULiège | 1 | Musculoskeletal & rehab |
| Niki Rashidian | Orsi Academy | 1 | Oncology |
| Olivia Dalleur | UCLouvain | 1 | Other |
| Peter Haemers | KU Leuven | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Piet Dirix | Iridium Network (Antwerp) | 1 | Oncology |
| Piet Ost | Ghent University | 1 | Oncology |
| Selena Toma | UCLouvain | 1 | Dental & oral |
| Sofie Heylen | UCLouvain | 1 | Oncology |
| Sophie Lucas | UCLouvain | 1 | Infectious disease |
| Stephane Carlier | University of Mons | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Steven Provyn | VUB | 1 | Women's health |
| Steven Smet | Ghent University | 1 | Dermatology |
| Steven Weyers | Ghent University | 1 | Women's health |
| Stéphanie Hody | ULiège | 1 | Neurology |
| Tinne Smets | VUB | 1 | Dental & oral |
| Virginie De Wilde | Hôpital Erasme (H.U.B) | 1 | Hematology |
| Wouter Oosterlinck | KU Leuven | 1 | Cardiovascular |
| Yanina J.L. Jansen | KU Leuven | 1 | Respiratory |
AcademicLabs found 398 clinical trials with Belgian involvement and a registered start date in 2026, as of 8 October 2026. 191 of them (48%) run only in Belgium; the other 197 are international trials with Belgian sites. Registries keep adding trials after they start, so the count for late 2026 will still grow.
Brussels has a site in 172 of the 398 trials, Leuven in 160 and Ghent in 104, followed by Antwerp (79) and Liège (57). By region, 280 trials have a site in Flanders, 172 in the Brussels-Capital Region and 94 in Wallonia. A multi-site trial counts in every city where it runs.
Universities and hospitals lead 201 of the 398 trials (51%) and industry leads 187 (47%). 174 trials have a Belgian sponsor; the most active are VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) (26), UCLouvain (26) and UZ Leuven (23). The most active companies are Boehringer Ingelheim (16), Eli Lilly (16), Bristol-Myers Squibb (8).
Oncology is the largest area with 81 trials (20%), followed by neurology (45) and cardiovascular disease (42). 54% of all trials have no drug-development phase: they test medical devices, surgery, diagnostics, digital tools and care pathways rather than a new medicine.
191 trials (48%) list Belgium as their only country, and almost all of them are led by Belgian universities and hospitals. 87% of industry-led trials are international.
Of the 197 international trials, 134 (68%) also run in the United States, 123 in Spain, 122 in France and 113 in Germany.
Yes. 13 trials target obesity or excess weight, 11 of them run by industry, including studies by Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Roche, some in children and adolescents.
85 of the 398 trials name an investigator with a Belgian affiliation in the registry record, 90 researchers in total. The most active are Copine Sylvie (4), Eva Swinnen (3), Bart Roelands (3), Laurent Simar (3). Industry-sponsored trials rarely name investigators in the registry, so the list mostly reflects academic and hospital-led studies.
AcademicLabs AI read each registry record on its own, with no web search and no facts from model memory, and classified it by disease area, intervention, development stage, sponsor type, Belgian sites and Belgian sponsorship. Counting and every figure were done in code. The trials are registered plans: most are recruiting or not yet open, and none of the figures describe results.
Yes. The data and figures are licensed CC BY 4.0: free to reuse with credit “Source: AcademicLabs”, with a link to https://academiclabs.com/research-reports/belgium-clinical-trials-2026.
Yes. AcademicLabs builds landscapes like this for any country, disease, target or technology, from €1,000 to €10,000 depending on scope, and offers monthly briefings. You can also build them yourself with AcademicLabs.
How to cite. AcademicLabs (2026). Clinical Trials in Belgium 2026. Arne Smolders. https://academiclabs.com/research-reports/belgium-clinical-trials-2026. Data as of 8 October 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0.