We enrolled 40+ patients in our last Phase 3 Major Depressive Disorder program, outperforming every other vendor on the same study by ~3x

Leapcure's regional advocacy strategy (built across NAMI, ADAA, The Stability Network, and 7 other MDD communities) combined with targeted digital outreach means we reach patients where they actually are, not where the protocol assumes they'll be.

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~4 mo

To enrollment completion

From program launch

~3x

Outperformed all other vendors

Within the same study

Named MDD advocacy partners activated

Hyper-local support groups to multi-national organizations

8 sites

Enrolled their only patients through Leapcure

No other vendor delivered enrollments

Understanding Major Depressive Disorder as a Clinical Trial Indication

Major depressive disorder affects approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States and represents one of the most actively recruited indications in clinical research, with over 600 studies recruiting globally at any given time. Despite the scale, MDD trials face compounding enrollment challenges. Patients living with depression experience symptoms (low energy, difficulty concentrating, overwhelm, and disrupted routines) that make navigating the research process difficult. Standard recruitment outreach fails to account for how MDD patients actually make decisions, which is why advocacy-led engagement consistently outperforms volume-based digital campaigns.

MDD eligibility criteria are tightly tied to symptom severity, treatment history, and current medications. Qualifying patients often face complex washout requirements or visit schedules that add burden to an already difficult daily experience. Families and caregivers frequently play a role in the decision to participate. These dynamics are why Leapcure built an advocacy-led recruitment model specifically for MDD, one that accounts for how patients actually make decisions about research participation.

MDD Clinical Trial - Patient Recruitment

The Challenge

MDD trial recruitment demands more than reach. It demands the right approach.

Hard-to-reach patients require trusted messengers, not more ads

MDD patients face compounding barriers to trial participation: stigma reduces willingness to publicly seek research options, symptom burden makes it hard to navigate complex screening processes, and eligibility criteria tied to symptom severity and medication history mean most generic outreach surfaces unqualified candidates. Over 600 MDD studies compete for the same patients at any given time; standing out requires being embedded in the communities patients already trust.

Leapcure's advocacy-led channel mix reached patient segments that no other vendor on the same Phase 3 MDD study was able to access.

Complex protocols create screening failure before enrollment begins

MDD eligibility is shaped by symptom severity thresholds, washout requirements, treatment history, and current medications. These criteria are specific enough that most patients who express interest will fail screening, unless recruitment surfaces candidates who are matched to the protocol before site referral. Passing unqualified patients to sites wastes coordinator time and inflates screen-fail rates that slow the entire study.

Leapcure assesses protocol eligibility criteria before any patient is referred to a site. Sites receive candidates who have been pre-assessed and educated on what participation involves.

Sites underperform when referral volume replaces referral quality

Most recruitment vendors measure success by leads generated and passed to sites. Site coordinators then carry the burden of follow-up, education, and patient motivation; work that falls outside their core role and creates burnout on long-running studies. When referral quality is low, sites disengage from external recruitment partners entirely.

Leapcure's patient-supportive process kept patients engaged from first contact through enrollment, reducing the follow-up burden on site coordinators and reversing site disengagement from external recruitment.

Advocacy is the right strategy for MDD, but execution requires real relationships

Sponsors running MDD studies already know that advocacy-led outreach outperforms generic digital campaigns. The challenge is finding a recruitment partner with established, trusted relationships in the MDD community, not vendors who purchase list access or run one-off email blasts to advocacy org members. Content co-developed with advocacy partners positions research as a trusted option, not an unsolicited pitch.

Leapcure's MDD advocacy network spans 10 named organizations, including NAMI, ADAA, and The Stability Network, with content co-developed to meet patients where they are.

Three Channels. One Advocacy-Led Strategy for Your MDD Trial.

Every MDD study is different. Leapcure deploys the right mix of advocacy, precision digital, and patient support, mapped to your protocol, your sites, and your timeline.

Activate the right advocacy and digital channels for your protocol

Leapcure activates three recruitment channels: MDD advocacy community outreach (10 named MDD organizations across national and regional networks), precision digital campaigns (Reddit, Google, Facebook, Instagram, targeted by geography and protocol eligibility), and a patient support model that keeps referred patients engaged through enrollment. Channel mix is adapted to the protocol, site locations, and patient eligibility criteria of each program.

Support patients through pre-screening before site referral

Every patient is engaged by Leapcure's team before being assigned to a site. We assess protocol eligibility, account for symptom burden and scheduling constraints, and confirm patients understand what participation involves. Caregivers and family members are included where relevant. Sites conduct official screening; Leapcure ensures the patients who arrive are informed and prepared, not referrals that create coordinator work.

Optimize in real time based on site engagement

Channel performance and site contact rates are tracked continuously. Advocacy, digital, and patient support contributions are rebalanced based on referral quality, site intake capacity, and protocol progress. Underperforming channels are deprioritized; high-converting pathways receive more budget and outreach volume in real time.

Phase 3 MDD Recruitment, Completed. 40+ Patients Enrolled in ~4 Months.

Challenge Context

Indication

Major Depressive Disorder, Phase 3

Sites

Multiple active sites across US

Challenge

Hard-to-reach patient population; complex eligibility criteria (symptom severity, treatment history, washout requirements); site underperformance; 600+ competing MDD studies recruiting simultaneously

Channels Deployed

Regional advocacy community outreach (10 named MDD organizations), targeted digital campaigns (Reddit, Google, Facebook, Instagram), and patient support model, weighted by protocol eligibility, site capacity, and patient population patterns

Results & Metrics

Patients Enrolled

40+ patients enrolled by Leapcure in approximately four months

Vendor Comparison

Outperformed all other recruitment vendors on the same study by approximately 3x

Site Engagement

Doubled site contacted rates. Tripled screening-to-enrollment rates. 8 sites enrolled their only study patients through Leapcure's referral pipeline.

Patient Quality

Tailored approach and patient quality improvement delivered referrals who were informed and ready for official site screening, reducing coordinator burden and screen-fail rates

Sponsor Attribution

Leading CNS Pharma Sponsor, Phase 3 MDD

Three Channels. Built for MDD. Active Before Your Trial Opens.

Leapcure reaches MDD patients through advocacy community outreach, precision digital campaigns, and a patient support model. The mix is adapted to each trial's protocol and site geography.

Channel 1: MDD Advocacy Network

•10 active MDD advocacy partners including NAMI, ADAA, The Stability Network, Families for Depression Awareness, Mental Health Association of Central Florida, weSearch Together, Mental Health Matters, The Mighty, Hope For Mental Health, and Healthline.
•Content co-developed with advocacy partners to position research as a trusted option, not an unsolicited pitch. Patients hear about trials from sources they already trust.
•Regional strategy adapted to site capacity; advocacy activation is matched to which sites can absorb referrals at any given point in the program.

Channel 2: Precision Digital Campaigns

•Reddit, Google, Facebook, and Instagram campaigns optimized for MDD-specific patient populations, targeting by geography, symptom profile, treatment history signals, and site proximity.
•Reddit was a primary digital channel in the completed Phase 3 MDD program, a platform where MDD patients are actively engaged in community discussions about treatment options.
•Digital spend is mapped to site intake capacity in real time; referrals are modulated so sites are not overwhelmed and patient quality is maintained.

Channel 3: Patient Support Model

•Every referred patient receives step-by-step guidance from first contact through enrollment, accounting for the cognitive load, scheduling constraints, and emotional barriers MDD patients face.
•Caregivers and family members are included in the process where relevant; MDD participation decisions often involve a support network, not just the patient.
•Patient support closes the gap between referral and enrollment, the stage where most MDD recruitment programs lose patients to symptom burden, scheduling conflicts, or uncertainty about what participation involves.

Living with depression? A clinical trial may be an option.

If you're living with major depressive disorder, a clinical trial may give you access to investigational treatments not yet widely available. We know that navigating research options can feel overwhelming, especially when you're managing symptoms day to day. Leapcure's team provides step-by-step support, and we include your family or caregivers in the process wherever that's helpful.

See if a trial may be right for you

Leapcure has completed Phase 3 MDD recruitment, outperforming every other vendor on the same study. We deploy advocacy, digital, and patient support channels adapted to your protocol, and we can mobilize within 48 hours of program launch.

Talk to our MDD team