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ISRCTN Registry API

Free ISRCTN registry API with no key: search registered clinical trials and export records in the WHO ICTRP dataset format, with sponsor, design, phase and recruitment status.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 2026-08-21

What is the ISRCTN Registry API?

The ISRCTN registry API is a free, key-free search interface to the ISRCTN clinical trial register. It returns trial records in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform XML format, covering registration details, sponsor, title, design, phase, target enrolment and recruitment status.

ISRCTN is a WHO-recognised primary trial registry, historically strong in UK and European studies and covering the full range from drug trials to health services research. Prospective registration is a condition of publication in most journals, which makes registries the authoritative record of what a trial set out to do — and a way to detect when reported outcomes differ from the ones originally specified.

The API's distinguishing feature is that it exports in the WHO ICTRP dataset format, the common schema every primary registry supports. That means records from ISRCTN, ClinicalTrials.gov and other registries can be pooled without bespoke field mapping, which is invaluable for systematic reviews. Two practical points: the response is XML rather than JSON, so plan on parsing rather than deserialising; and dates use `DD/MM/YYYY`, an unambiguous reminder that this is a British register. Registry entries describe intent and progress as the sponsor recorded them — they are not results, and the `results_url_link` and `results_summary` fields are frequently empty even for completed trials.

Quick facts

Base URL
https://www.isrctn.com/api/query
Authentication
No API key or account. ISRCTN is a public registry operated by BMC; consult its terms before bulk redistribution of records.
Rate limit
No published limit. Use targeted queries with `limit` rather than harvesting the whole register repeatedly.
Pricing
Free to query, with no registration.
CORS
Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs
Read the docs

How to use the ISRCTN Registry API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-21, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Search registered trials and export in WHO format

GET https://www.isrctn.com/api/query/format/who?q=cancer&limit=1

curl
curl 'https://www.isrctn.com/api/query/format/who?q=cancer&limit=1'
JavaScript (fetch)
const res = await fetch("https://www.isrctn.com/api/query/format/who?q=cancer&limit=1");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);
Python (requests)
import requests

res = requests.get("https://www.isrctn.com/api/query/format/who?q=cancer&limit=1", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())
Response — HTTP 200 (truncated)
<trials><trial>
  <main>
    <trial_id>ISRCTN99067257</trial_id>
    <utrn/>
    <reg_name>ISRCTN</reg_name>
    <date_registration>20/08/2026</date_registration>
    <primary_sponsor>University of Leeds</primary_sponsor>
    <public_title>REASCENT trial: a proof of principle trial to treat active systemic sclerosis via interferon inhibition</public_title>
    <acronym>REASCENT</acronym>
    <scientific_title>REASCENT trial: a proof of principle trial to treat active systemic sclerosis via interferon inhibition</scientific_title>
    <date_enrolment>27/09/2025</date_enrolment>
    <type_enrolment>Actual</type_enrolment>
    <target_size>35</target_size>
    <recruitment_status>Recruiting</recruitment_status>
    <url>https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN99067257</url>
    <study_type>Interventional</study_type>
    <study_design>Interventional randomized controlled trial (Safety)</study_design>
    <phase>Phase II</phase>
    <hc_freetext>Systemic sclerosis</hc_freetext>
    <i_freetext>This is a single-arm, open-label, proof-of-principle trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of an intravenous (IV) treatment regimen of anifrolumab 300 mg in patients with active systemic sclerosis (SSc) while receiving standard of care (SOC) treatment. Participants enrolled in REASCENT will receive a fixed intravenous dose of anifrolumab 300 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W) for a total of 13 doses (Week 0 to Week 48).</i_freetext>
    <results_actual_enrolment>0</results_actual_enrolment>
    <results_date_completed>31/08/2028</results_date_completed>
    <results_url_link/>
    <results_summary/>

Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
formatpath segmentRequiredExport format. `who` gives the WHO ICTRP dataset schema used in the example. who
qqueryOptionalSearch expression across trial titles, conditions and interventions. cancer
limitqueryOptionalMaximum records to return. 1
offsetqueryOptionalZero-based offset for paging through results. 0
filtersqueryOptionalField filters such as recruitment status or condition, comma separated. condition:diabetes

Response fields

trial_idstring
The ISRCTN identifier, such as `ISRCTN99067257`. The registry's permanent reference.
utrnstring
Universal Trial Number, when the sponsor obtained one. Frequently empty.
date_registrationstring
Registration date in `DD/MM/YYYY` format. Registration after enrolment began is itself informative.
primary_sponsorstring
Organisation responsible for the trial.
public_title / scientific_title / acronymstring
Lay title, full scientific title and short name.
recruitment_statusstring
Such as `Recruiting`, `Not yet recruiting` or `Completed`.
study_type / study_design / phasestring
Design metadata — `Interventional`, `randomized controlled trial (Safety)`, `Phase II` and similar.
target_size / type_enrolmentstring
Planned or actual enrolment, with `type_enrolment` saying which of the two it is.
hc_freetext / i_freetextstring
Health condition studied and a free-text description of the intervention.
results_url_link / results_summarystring
Links to published results. Often empty, including for completed trials.

What you can build with the ISRCTN Registry API

  • Find registered trials for a condition or intervention
  • Check whether a trial was prospectively registered before enrolment
  • Pool records with other registries using the shared WHO schema
  • Monitor recruitment status for trials of interest
  • Compare a published paper's outcomes against the registered protocol

Common errors and how to fix them

XML where JSON was expected

The export formats are XML.

Fix: Parse the XML, or convert it once on ingest. There is no JSON representation of the WHO dataset from this endpoint.

Dates parsed incorrectly

Dates are `DD/MM/YYYY`.

Fix: A date like `03/08/2026` is 3 August, not 8 March. Parse with an explicit British format rather than a locale default.

Empty results fields

Registration is not results reporting.

Fix: `results_summary` and `results_url_link` are commonly blank even for finished trials. Absence of results here is not evidence a trial was unpublished, but it is a prompt to look elsewhere.

Trial not found

It may be registered elsewhere.

Fix: ISRCTN is one of several WHO primary registries. A trial absent here may be on ClinicalTrials.gov or a national register; the WHO ICTRP search spans all of them.

ISRCTN Registry API — frequently asked questions

Is the ISRCTN API free?

Yes, querying is free with no key or account. ISRCTN is a public registry operated by BMC — check its terms before redistributing records in bulk.

What is the WHO format?

The WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform dataset, a common schema that every primary registry exports. Because ISRCTN, ClinicalTrials.gov and others all support it, records from different registries can be combined without field-by-field mapping.

How does ISRCTN differ from ClinicalTrials.gov?

Both are WHO primary registries with overlapping scope. ISRCTN has historically stronger UK and European coverage and includes a broad range of health services and non-drug research; ClinicalTrials.gov is larger and US-centred. Serious systematic reviews search both.

Does the registry include trial results?

Only sometimes. The record describes what a trial set out to do and its progress, with optional links to published results that sponsors frequently leave empty. Treat the registry as the record of intent, and look to journals and results databases for outcomes.

Tools that pair with this API

ISRCTN Registry is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 2026-08-21; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.