CHARLOTTE, NC

IgA Nephropathy and Rare Kidney Disease Clinical Trials

3 rare kidney studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC. Notably, all three are for FSGS or nephrotic syndrome. However, no IgA nephropathy study is open in either Carolina metro, and we say so plainly. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.

Enrolling Near You

For IgA Nephropathy

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, these diseases are not interchangeable, and the exact name on your biopsy report decides everything. So here is the fastest way to work out which studies apply.

Know your exact diagnosis. Because FSGS, IgA nephropathy and membranous nephropathy lead to completely different studies.
Find your biopsy report. Notably, one study accepts a biopsy from up to 7 years ago, so you may not need a new one.
Check the drive on each card. In fact, the nearest IgA nephropathy study is more than two hours away.
Finally, put your name in. Then we check you against all of them and call you when one opens closer.

Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.

The 3 Rare Kidney Studies Enrolling Near Charlotte

In fact, all three are for FSGS or nephrotic syndrome. So we also list the nearest IgA nephropathy door, even though it is a drive.

For FSGS, right here

Notably, neither of these takes your kidney medicine away. Also, no drug has ever been approved for FSGS in the US, which is what both are trying to change.

The First Drug Aimed at FSGS Itself

Dimerix / Drug

Everybody keeps taking their blood pressure pill. On top of that, half get a capsule twice a day and half get a dummy capsule.

Late stage, 286 people In Charlotte

Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: no drug has ever been approved for FSGS in the United States. So a win here would be the first.

Who this study is looking for

Age 12 to 80
Also, FSGS confirmed by a kidney biopsy in the past 7 years
Besides that, you already take an ARB at the top dose you can handle, or you will switch to one
Finally, protein in your urine above 1.5, and kidney function between 25 and 120

Probably not a fit if: your FSGS was caused by something else, or you have taken certain immune drugs in the past 12 weeks, or your potassium is above 5.5.

Placebo group: Nobody loses their kidney medicine, because everybody stays on their ARB. Also, everyone who finishes the blinded stage is offered the real drug afterwards.
How long: Very long. About 2 years blinded, then an optional extension. The whole thing can run 4 and a half years.
Clinic visits: Not published as a total. The named points are the start, week 35, week 104, week 108 and week 216.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Repeated 24 hour urine collections, which means carrying a jug all day, plus blood draws. Notably, an old biopsy counts, so you do not need a new one.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Atrium Health, Charlotte NC 28105.
Read this first: the 24 hour urine collections are the part people find hardest, and they come round repeatedly. Also, teenagers from 12 can join, which is rare.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

A Pill for a Specific Broken Gene

Boehringer Ingelheim / Drug

A once a day pill taken for two years. Half get the real pill and half get a dummy, and everybody keeps their usual kidney medicines.

Late stage, 286 people Near Charlotte

Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: it blocks one specific channel on the kidney filter cells. So for people whose FSGS comes from a fault in that very gene, it targets the broken part itself.

Who this study is looking for

Adults and teenagers with primary FSGS, or FSGS from a TRPC6 gene change
Also, kidney function of 25 or above
Besides that, on a steady dose of an ACE inhibitor or ARB for at least 8 weeks
Finally, if you take steroids, no more than 10 mg a day and steady for 4 weeks

Probably not a fit if: you take metformin, which is a real problem for anyone with diabetes too. Also, any transplant or recent immune drugs by drip rule you out.

Placebo group: Half real pill and half dummy, and nobody is told which. Your normal kidney medicines carry on unchanged.
How long: 104 weeks, so two years of treatment.
Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. Every measure reads only baseline and week 104.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: 24 hour urine collections, blood draws and heart tracings.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Cardinal Clinical Research, Shelby NC 28150.
Drive from Charlotte: Shelby is about 45 miles west, so roughly 55 minutes on US-74.
Read this first: metformin is not allowed at any point during the study. So if you take it for diabetes, raise that on the very first call.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

The study that built the field

Nothing is given and nothing is changed. However, it is how many people later get matched to drug trials.

The Study Most of Today’s Drugs Came From

University of Michigan with NIDDK / Observational

Nothing is given and nothing is changed. Doctors follow you over time and collect blood, urine and a piece of the biopsy you were already having.

Observational, running since 2010 No treatment given

Payment is not published. However, nothing about your treatment changes.

Read the details →

More details

Why researchers are excited: this is the tissue bank that most of today’s rare kidney drugs were designed from. Also, joining is how many people later get matched to trials of those drugs.

Who this study is looking for

A new diagnosis of FSGS, minimal change disease or membranous nephropathy
Also, protein in your urine of 1,500 mg or more a day
Besides that, you already have a kidney biopsy booked
Finally, you can keep to the visit schedule

Probably not a fit if: your diagnosis was made without a biopsy, or you have had a transplant, or there is any sign of lupus or another kidney disease.

Placebo group: None at all, because nothing is randomised and no study drug is given. Your own doctor treats you as normal.
How long: Long term. The main measures run over 60 months and the study goes to 2030.
Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. The record points to a visit calendar that was never registered.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: A kidney biopsy, but it is the one you were already having. The study collects the tissue rather than asking for extra.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital, Charlotte NC 28203.
Check before you call: the Charlotte site is at a children’s hospital. So an adult should confirm this location takes adults before making the trip.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not near you, but worth knowing

Notably, there is no IgA nephropathy study in either metro. So these are the nearest doors, and all three involve a real drive.

The Closest Study for IgA Nephropathy

Takeda / Drug

An antibody that clears out the immune cells making the antibody that damages your kidney filters. Two out of every three people get the real drug.

Late stage, 347 people Nearest IgA study

Payment is not published. Notably, treatment is only 22 weeks of the two years.

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: IgA nephropathy has moved faster than any area in kidney medicine. However, this is the nearest study, and it is still a long drive.

Who this study is looking for

Adults with IgA nephropathy
Also, the full rules are on the study record, so read them before you call
Besides that, you can travel to Winston-Salem repeatedly
Finally, you can stay in the study for about two years

Probably not a fit if: distance is the first hurdle. There is no site in either metro, and none anywhere closer.

Placebo group: Yes, but the odds favour you at 2 in 3 getting the real drug.
How long: 22 weeks of treatment, then watching to 2 years.
Clinic visits: Not published as a total. The named points are the start, week 36, week 52 and week 104, with monthly check ups during the watching stage.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Repeated blood draws and urine collections.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Brookview Hills Research Associates, Winston-Salem NC 27103.
Drive from Charlotte: Winston-Salem is about 145 miles northeast, so roughly 2 hours 15 minutes.
Why we list it: there is no IgA nephropathy study in either metro at all, so this is the closest door in the country’s fastest moving kidney field.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Tested Against a Real Drug, Not a Dummy

Vertex / Drug

For membranous nephropathy. This one is compared head to head against tacrolimus, a drug already used for it. So nobody receives a dummy.

Mid to late stage, 176 people No placebo

Payment is not published. However, no participant is left untreated.

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: head to head against an active drug is far more useful than beating a placebo. Also, it means every person enrolled is being treated.

Who this study is looking for

Adults with primary membranous nephropathy
Also, the full rules are on the study record, so read them before you call
Besides that, you can travel to Greenville or Spartanburg
Finally, you can stay in the study for about two years

Probably not a fit if: distance again. Both sites are upstate, so neither metro has one.

Placebo group: None at all. Both groups get a real, active drug.
How long: The main result lands at week 104, so about two years.
Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. So ask the clinic for the schedule before you agree.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Repeated blood draws and urine collections.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Carolina Nephrology, Greenville SC 29605 and Spartanburg SC 29306.
Drive from Charlotte: Greenville SC is about 95 miles southwest, so roughly 1 hour 40 minutes on I-85.
Worth knowing: a head to head design like this is unusual and worth asking about, because it means the comparison group is getting real care rather than nothing.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

For People Who Finished the Standard Course

Calliditas / Drug

This is for people with IgA nephropathy who already completed the standard 9 month course of the approved capsule and still have protein in their urine. Everybody gets the real drug.

After approval study, 60 people No placebo

Payment is not published. However, there is no dummy at all.

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: it answers a question people actually face, which is what to do when the approved treatment ends and the problem has not gone.

Who this study is looking for

Adults with IgA nephropathy
Also, you already finished the standard 9 month course of the approved capsule
Besides that, you still have protein in your urine
Finally, you can travel to Raleigh

Probably not a fit if: distance is the barrier. Raleigh is about 2 hours 45 minutes from Charlotte and further from Columbia.

Placebo group: None at all. Every person gets the real drug and knows it.
How long: About 19 months.
Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. So ask the clinic before you commit.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Repeated blood draws and urine collections.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: North Carolina Nephrology, Raleigh NC 27609.
Why we list it: very few studies take people after the approved treatment is done. So this fills a gap that a lot of readers will recognise.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not sure which one fits you?

First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we check you against every rare kidney study we track. No account, no paperwork.

See if I may fit one of these studies →

✓ Takes just a few minutes✓ No cost, no obligation✓ You are never enrolled by checking

Why Rare Kidney Research Matters Here in Charlotte

The diagnosis that arrives with a biopsy

Most people find out because protein turned up in a urine test, or because their ankles started swelling. Then comes a kidney biopsy, and a name most people have never heard of. Meanwhile, these are uncommon diseases, so the local knowledge is thin and answers come slowly. Also, until recently the treatment was broad steroids, which suppress the whole immune system.

What is actually being studied here

Gastonia, Rock Hill, Monroe, Concord, Shelby. Rare kidney diseases turn up everywhere, but by definition each one is uncommon, so few local doctors see many. However, Charlotte does carry two FSGS studies, and that field has no approved drug at all yet. In fact, one of them accepts teenagers from age 12, which is unusual.

So why is there no IgA nephropathy study here?

The Carolina sites went elsewhere. Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Greenville all carry IgA nephropathy studies. Meanwhile, neither metro does.
These diseases cluster at academic centres. Rare kidney trials tend to sit where a biopsy programme and a research nephrologist already exist.
The field moved very fast. Several drugs were approved in a few years. So the newest studies are still adding sites, which is exactly when a list pays off.
Sponsors start where they already have sites. A company opens where it has run studies before. So a metro can be skipped for years for no medical reason.
The rules are narrow. Many of these studies want a very specific patient. However, that cuts both ways, because being unusual sometimes opens a door.

Research is a care option, not a last resort

There is a saying in medicine that research is a care option rather than a last resort. Generally, that is the honest way to think about a study. You are not giving up your own doctor. Instead, you are adding a second set of eyes. Notably, in both local studies you keep taking the blood pressure medicine you are already on.

What being on the list actually gets you

This is a directory, not a clinic. So being on the list is simple and it costs nothing.

What you actually get

A call from us the day a new study opens near you
The clinic name and number, so you call them yourself
A check against every other study on our list, not just this one
No cost, and no insurance needed
Roughly $100 a visit for your time, once you are in a study
You are never enrolled by checking

So add it up. Two real FSGS studies sit within an hour, in a disease with no approved drug at all. However, in the fastest moving field in kidney medicine there is nothing here, and we will not pretend otherwise. So the useful thing this page can do is tell you the truth and call you the day that changes.

What Is Actually Changing in Rare Kidney Disease

The fastest moving field in kidney medicine, and a gap right here.

What These Diseases Are

The kidney filters blood through millions of tiny units. In these diseases those filters get damaged, by the immune system, by an inherited gene change, or by scarring. Then protein starts leaking into the urine, which is usually the first sign. Also, most of them are confirmed by a kidney biopsy rather than by a blood test.

The Old Answer Was Steroids

For a long time there were only two tools. Blood pressure drugs to slow the leak, and broad steroids to damp down the whole immune system. However, wide immune suppression carries real harm, from infections to bone loss to weight gain. So a diagnosis often meant waiting and watching kidney function fall.

IgA Nephropathy Changed Fastest

In just a few years this went from having no approved disease specific drug to having several. A targeted capsule that acts in the gut, a dual blocker of two pathways, and a complement blocker taken as a pill. As Isabelle Ayoub of Ohio State put it, this is a pivotal moment, with tools to find high risk patients earlier and new agents to act on that.

What the Experts Say Comes Next

Timothy Yau of Washington University called the current pace of innovation remarkable, and said more precise strategies are expected. Meanwhile, Kerry Willis of the National Kidney Foundation pointed to prediction tools that combine clinical and biopsy data to estimate risk. So the hard part is shifting from whether to treat toward choosing between real options.

FSGS Is Just Behind

FSGS still has no drug approved specifically for it in the United States. However, that is exactly what two studies near Charlotte are trying to change. One adds a capsule on top of your usual blood pressure pill. The other blocks one specific channel on the filter cells, which matters most if your disease comes from a fault in that gene.

The Gap Worth Naming

Here is the honest part. There is no IgA nephropathy study recruiting in either metro. We checked every recruiting study in the world one by one rather than trusting a search filter. Every Carolina site sits in Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill or Greenville. So in the fastest moving field in kidney medicine, this is the one place we cannot point you next door.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Generally, Atrium Health and Levine Children’s carry these between them. But sites add new studies all the time, so it is worth knowing what sits near you.

Atrium Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies

Crohn’s, Heart Failure, COPD, Dementia, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension

Charlotte’s biggest health system. It is tied to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Also, it runs far more trials than anyone else nearby.

Visit Website →

American Health Research Network

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 25 to 30+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Type 2 Diabetes

Led by Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal. It is the biggest private lung research group in Charlotte. Specifically, it has 4 offices: Charlotte, Rock Hill, Lake Norman, and Charleston.

Visit Website →

Monroe Biomedical Research

Monroe, NC / 17+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Hypertension, Obesity, Ulcerative Colitis

Notably, one of the 5 busiest research sites in the country. Its 6,300 sq ft space can host overnight stays. It is also an SCRS Global Impact Partner.

Visit Website →

Clinical Research of Gastonia

Gastonia, NC / 11+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Led by Dr. Anup Banerjee. Its 3,500 sq ft space sits next to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Also, it has been running for over 10 years.

Visit Website →

OnSite Clinical Solutions

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 10+ active studies

Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, COPD, Heart Failure, Atopic Dermatitis

It works with Charlotte doctors in heart, gut, skin, nerve, and joint care. Besides, it runs studies from Phase I through Phase IV.

Visit Website →

Flourish Research

Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies

Alzheimer’s Disease, Early Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s-Related Psychosis

Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. He has 20+ years in Alzheimer’s research. The site is an Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. In fact, its network has finished 5,500+ trials.

Visit Website →

New Hope Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies

Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. It runs Phase I through IV studies and has 30 beds for overnight stays. Its last FDA audit came back clean. Also, it has finished 200+ brain studies.

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Queen City Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 2+ active studies

Chronic Pain, Chronic Migraine, Osteoarthritis

Led by Dr. Leonardo Kapural, a former Cleveland Clinic professor. Notably, he has written 200+ journal articles. On top of that, many call this the biggest pain research site in the country.

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Novant Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / Several active studies

Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Hypertension

One of the biggest health systems in the Carolinas. Its Heart and Vascular Institute runs heart studies and sees a lot of patients.

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DLVSC

4 Charlotte-area offices / 1+ active studies

Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea

Led by Dr. Gilly Munavalli. This award-winning skin practice owns 50+ FDA-approved lasers and devices. Also, it has its own research team.

Visit Website →

DelRicht Research

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Depression

Part of a national network of mental health research sites. Currently, it runs the azetukalner bipolar depression trial in Charlotte. Previously, it ran other mental health studies.

Visit Website →

TMS of the Carolinas

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Major Depression, Treatment-Resistant Depression

A specialty site for brain stimulation care. It runs the fast TMS study that packs 6 weeks into 2.

Visit Website →

What to Expect in a Rare Kidney Study

New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.

Prescreening

First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check whether you might fit. Then they tell you what is open.

Screening Visit

Next the clinic runs the tests that decide it, which usually means blood work. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can bring somebody with you.

Treatment Period

Then the study begins. So you take the study drug or the placebo on the agreed schedule. Meanwhile, your own doctor keeps managing everything else.

Follow-Up

Finally, there is a check in period at the end. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can stop at any point without affecting your care.

Rare Kidney Disease Trial FAQs

Real answers about FSGS and IgA nephropathy studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a rare kidney disease study near Charlotte?

Yes, three, and all of them are for FSGS or nephrotic syndrome rather than IgA nephropathy. Notably, two are drug studies and one is an observational study that collects tissue from a biopsy you were already having. Also, one of the drug studies sits in Shelby, about 55 minutes west. So the exact name on your biopsy report decides which apply.

Is there an IgA nephropathy study near me?

No, and this is the most important thing on the page. There is no IgA nephropathy study recruiting in either metro, despite this being the fastest moving field in kidney medicine. We opened every recruiting study in the world one by one rather than trusting a search filter. So the nearest sites are in Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Greenville.

What changed in IgA nephropathy?

In just a few years it went from having no drug approved for it to having several. There is a capsule that acts in the gut, a blocker of two pathways at once, and a complement blocker taken as a pill. As Isabelle Ayoub of Ohio State put it, this is a pivotal moment with tools to find high risk patients earlier. So the hard part now is choosing between real options rather than waiting.

Do I need a new kidney biopsy?

Usually not, and this saves people a lot of worry. The FSGS study accepts a biopsy done any time in the past 7 years. The observational study collects tissue from a biopsy you were already scheduled to have. So dig out your old report before you assume you need another one.

Will I be taken off my current medicine?

No. In both local drug studies you stay on the blood pressure pill you already take. The study drug is added on top, and the coin flip only decides whether that addition is real. Also, in the FSGS capsule study everyone who finishes the blinded stage is offered the real drug afterwards. So nobody is left untreated.

What is the 24 hour urine collection?

You carry a container and collect everything you pass for a full day. It is not painful, but people consistently rate it as the most disruptive part of these studies. Also, it comes round repeatedly rather than once. So ask how many times before you agree, because it shapes the whole experience.

Is there a placebo?

It depends on the study, and one of them avoids it entirely. Both FSGS studies use a dummy capsule, though everybody keeps their normal kidney medicine. The membranous nephropathy study is compared against a real drug instead, so nobody gets a dummy. Meanwhile, the observational study gives nothing to anyone, because it only watches.

Does it cost anything to be on the list?

No. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. Tether is a nonprofit list, so we do not run studies and we are not paid to send you anywhere. Also, being on the list never enrolls you in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.

How long do these studies run?

Longer than most, and that is worth knowing upfront. The FSGS capsule study can run four and a half years if you take the extension. The other FSGS study runs two years, and the observational one has been going since 2010. So match the commitment to what you can realistically do.

Where can I get rare kidney care near Charlotte NC?

Generally, Atrium Health and Novant Health both run kidney clinics across the metro, and Levine Children’s covers younger patients. Also, ask for a nephrologist who handles glomerular disease specifically, because that is a narrower speciality. Your own doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, keep a copy of your biopsy report, because every study here asks for it.

Ready to Explore a Study?

Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Charlotte team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.

See if I may fit one of these studies → Contact Us

← Back to All Clinical Trials

Sources

Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 15, 2026. On that date no IgA nephropathy study was recruiting in either the Charlotte or Columbia metro. Two South Carolina sites of the FSGS study are listed but are closed to new patients. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

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