Put the status beside the question it answers
A trial page can look current and official while answering a different question from the one a reader brought to it. Someone asking whether a medicine works needs evidence about outcomes. Someone asking whether a site is accepting participants needs current recruitment information. Those questions cannot be answered by the same badge.
The definitions below follow the ClinicalTrials.gov glossary, checked September 26, 2026. They explain the registry’s terminology, not the status of a particular GLP-1 trial. Always return to the actual study record and its listed contacts before treating an old news article as an invitation to participate.
Recruitment describes access to a study, not routine care
Recruiting means the study is currently recruiting participants. Not yet recruiting means recruitment has not started. Active, not recruiting means the study is continuing but is not recruiting additional participants. These labels describe research activity; they do not promise an appointment, an open place at every location or eligibility for a particular person.
A study can have several sites, so read the location and contact details as well as the overall status. If participation interests you, ask study staff about the relevant site and screening process. Do not stop existing care or assume a study will supply a substitute prescription based on the registry label.
Completed does not mean successful
In the official definitions, completed means the study has ended normally and participants are no longer being examined or treated as part of it. Terminated means the study stopped early and will not start again. Suspended indicates an early halt that may resume; withdrawn describes a study stopped before enrolling its first participant.
Those distinctions prevent a common reporting error: treating an end date as a positive result. A completed trial may have favorable, unfavorable or inconclusive findings. For an early stop, look for the stated explanation in the record and source material rather than inventing a reason from the status alone.
Look for the actual result, and name its source
A results-posted field concerns information in the registry, while a journal publication, presentation and press release are separate documents. They may appear on different dates and include different levels of detail. Record which one supports the claim you are reading instead of using the word published for everything.
When numbers are available, identify the outcome, comparison group and time point. Our relative and absolute risk guide shows why a percentage needs its denominator. A status label supplies none of those details and should not stand in for them.
A short record keeps uncertainty visible
Our suggested note has four lines: study identifier, date checked, exact status, and the document containing the claimed result. Add the question you still cannot answer. This is an editorial organizing tool, not a clinical assessment or a conclusion that the sponsor has met every reporting obligation.
The registry disclaimer assigns responsibility for submitted information to the sponsor or investigator and warns that government does not approve the safety and science of all listed studies. Use our registry review for those boundaries. Discuss participation risks, benefits and alternatives with your health professional and the study team.
Common questions
Does completed mean a trial proved the medicine works?
No. It describes the study ending normally, not the direction or strength of its findings.
Does recruiting mean anyone can receive the treatment?
No. Study eligibility, location and screening still matter. Research participation is separate from routine prescribing and product approval.
Sources and fact-checking
Sources checked 2026-09-26. Company pages document their own published terms; government and research sources provide context. This is a review of published information, not a hands-on service test or a clinical evaluation. Prices and availability can change.