How to Use the Harvard ClinicalTrials MCP in VS Code Copilot

Q: How do I share Harvard ClinicalTrials access in VS Code Copilot?

Commit a .vscode/mcp.json file to your shared repository. This ensures every developer on your team has the same tools available in their editor.

Deploy the Harvard ClinicalTrials MCP Server to your team in VS Code Copilot for consistent trial data access.

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Connect Harvard ClinicalTrials MCP to VS Code Copilot

Create your Vinkius account to connect Harvard ClinicalTrials to VS Code Copilot and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Harvard ClinicalTrials with VS Code Copilot

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Standardize trial access in VS Code Copilot

Commit your `.vscode/mcp.json` to the repo to share this server with your entire engineering team. Everyone uses the same 16 tools, including `search_studies` and `search_rare_diseases`. This removes the need for manual setup on every machine. Your team gets a unified way to query clinical data without re-inventing the wheel for every new feature.

Automate clinical data pipelines

Use `search_fda_regulated` and `search_pediatric` to feed your backend services. The agent handles the tool calls, ensuring your data ingestion is consistent across the team. Focus on the business logic instead of writing custom API wrappers. The server provides the structure, and your code handles the data flow.

Monitor clinical trial updates

Use `get_api_version` to track data currency across your team's development environments. It ensures everyone is looking at the same version of the clinical data. This prevents discrepancies during testing. When everyone uses the same toolset, your debug logs become much easier to compare.

Setup guide

Set up Harvard ClinicalTrials MCP in VS Code Copilot

Prerequisites

VS Code 1.99 or later with GitHub Copilot extension
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and run "MCP: Add Server". Select HTTP (Streamable) as the server type. VS Code will create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace.
2

Add the Harvard ClinicalTrials MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into your .vscode/mcp.json. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Switch to Agent mode

Open Copilot Chat (Cmd+Shift+I / Ctrl+Shift+I) and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode — they do not appear in Edit or Ask modes.
4

Verify the connection

In the Copilot Chat input, type # to list available tools. You should see the Harvard ClinicalTrials tools listed. Try asking: "List my recent Harvard ClinicalTrials transactions" and Copilot will invoke them automatically.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "harvard-clinicaltrials-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by ClinicalTrials.gov. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Harvard ClinicalTrials MCP in VS Code Copilot

Commit a `.vscode/mcp.json` file to your shared repository. This ensures every developer on your team has the same tools available in their editor.

The server is SOC 2 compliant and runs locally. It does not store your search queries or the clinical trial records it fetches on any external Vinkius servers.

You control the server configuration in your local or global settings. Only the tools defined in your config file are exposed to the Copilot agent.

The server handles requests efficiently. If you hit rate limits, the agent will report the issue, allowing you to implement caching in your own code.

It accesses public ClinicalTrials.gov records, including NCT IDs, study titles, and sponsor names. The server acts as a pass-through for this public, non-sensitive medical data.

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