Search clinical trials by study acronym. Uses the Acronym field (protocolSection.identificationModule.acronym) to find trials by their public short name. Example: 'TETON'. The API search is seeded with the provided acronyms to narrow results, then results are filtered locally to ensure the acrony...
Part of the Clinical Trials Data Server server.
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AI agents call search_trials_by_acronym to retrieve information from Clinical Trials Data Server without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.
Even though search_trials_by_acronym only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.
Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_trials_by_acronym": {}
}
}See the full Clinical Trials Data Server policy for all 12 tools.
These attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_trials_by_acronym gives an agent. Each links to the full case and the policy that stops it:
Other read tools across the catalogue. The same approach applies to each: allow, with a rate cap to control cost.
Search clinical trials by study acronym. Uses the Acronym field (protocolSection.identificationModule.acronym) to find trials by their public short name. Example: 'TETON'. The API search is seeded with the provided acronyms to narrow results, then results are filtered locally to ensure the acronym field matches the requested value(s). Input: - acronyms: One or more acronyms to search for (e.g., ['TETON']). - max_studies: Maximum number of studies to request from the API. - exact_match: When true (default), matches acronyms exactly (case-insensitive). When false, matches if any provided acronym is contained within the study acronym (case-insensitive partial match). - fields: A list of specific fields to return in the results. If not provided, returns ACRONYM_SEARCH_DEFAULTS (8 fields optimized for acronym discovery: NCTId, BriefTitle, Acronym, Condition, InterventionName, Phase, LeadSponsorName, HasResults).. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Clinical Trials Data Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Clinical Trials Data Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_trials_by_acronym: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Clinical Trials Data Server. Nothing to install.
search_trials_by_acronym is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_trials_by_acronym rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_trials_by_acronym. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
search_trials_by_acronym is provided by the Clinical Trials Data Server MCP server (plainyogurt21/clintrials-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 12 Clinical Trials Data Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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