CHARLOTTE, NC

Primary Biliary Cholangitis Clinical Trials

No study for this is enrolling in Charlotte right now, and the reason is a good one. In fact, the trials that ran here produced two drugs you can now simply be prescribed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants once one opens here.

In Charlotte

Within Reach

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, the honest picture. Nothing is open in either metro, and we checked four separate ways. So here is how to use this page anyway.

Check whether you have cirrhosis. Because both of the nearest drug studies take only people who do.
Look at your alkaline phosphatase. Notably, one study needs it at least 1.5 times above normal, so doing well can rule you out.
List everything you take. In fact, a fibrate or a steroid in the past 3 months blocks one of these studies.
Finally, put your name in. Then we call you the day a study opens near you rather than three hours away.

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

Studies Within Reach of Charlotte

Notably, none is in Charlotte. However, the nearest real drug study is about 80 minutes up the road.

The nearest one, and it is a drive

Notably, nothing is open in either metro. However, Winston-Salem is the closest real drug study, at about 80 minutes.

Does the New Pill Prevent a Transplant?

Gilead / Drug

A daily pill called seladelpar against a dummy, in people who have this disease plus cirrhosis that is still working well enough. It counts serious events rather than lab numbers.

Late stage, 318 people Nearest to you

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

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: it is the first study in this disease asking whether a drug actually prevents transplant and death.

Who this study is looking for

Adults 18 and older
Also, A confirmed diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis
Besides that, evidence of cirrhosis
Finally, your liver is still functioning reasonably well

Probably not a fit if: your alkaline phosphatase is well controlled. It has to be at least 1.5 times above normal, so people doing well on their current treatment are screened out.

Placebo group: Yes, and the ratio is not published. Whether your usual bile acid tablet continues is not stated on the record, though it is not on the banned list.
How long: The measures run over 36 months, and the study goes to 2030.
Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. Every measure carries the same single 36 month window.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Blood draws and an ultrasound at screening. Notably, no biopsy is mentioned anywhere in the record.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem NC 27157 and MUSC, Charleston SC 29425.
Drive from Charlotte: Winston-Salem is about 80 miles northeast, so roughly 1 hour 20 minutes on I-85 and US-52.
Worth knowing: this is only for people who already have cirrhosis. So if your disease is well controlled on tablets, this study is not aimed at you, and that is good news.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Further out, but worth knowing

Notably, all three of these involve a serious drive or a phone call to check. Also, one of them gives no treatment at all.

The Same Question, a Different Drug

Ipsen / Drug

One 80 mg elafibranor tablet a day against a dummy, in adults who already have cirrhosis. It also tracks itching, tiredness and sleep, which is unusual and useful.

Late stage, 276 people One Carolina site

Est. $500 or so, across about 5 visits.

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More details

Why researchers are excited: elafibranor was approved on lab numbers alone. So this is the study that has to prove it changes real outcomes.

Who this study is looking for

Adults 18 and older
Also, definite or probable primary biliary cholangitis
Besides that, cirrhosis present at screening
Finally, your liver is still functioning reasonably well

Probably not a fit if: you have taken a fibrate, seladelpar, obeticholic acid, a glitazone or a steroid in the past 3 months. So a lot of people are already on something that blocks them.

Placebo group: Yes, and the ratio is not published. Your usual bile acid tablet is not on the banned list, though the record does not say so outright.
How long: Up to 3 and a half years, plus 4 weeks of safety checks.
Clinic visits: About 11 or 12. Screening, day 1, month 6, month 12, then yearly, with questionnaires every 6 months.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Repeated blood draws, heart tracings and liver stiffness scans. Also, three of the visits involve blood sampling across a full day.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425.
Drive from Charlotte: Charleston is about 205 miles southeast, so roughly 3 hours 15 minutes.
Check before you drive: there is no North Carolina site at all among its 42 US locations. So Charleston is the only Carolina door.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Watching the Approved Drug in Real Life

Ipsen / Observational

Nothing is given and nothing is randomised. Researchers simply record what happens to people whose own doctor already decided to prescribe elafibranor.

Observational, 424 people No treatment given

No study payment is published. Notably, there are no extra visits either.

Read the details →

More details

Why researchers are excited: it shows how the drug performs in ordinary clinics rather than inside a tightly controlled trial.

Who this study is looking for

A diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis
Also, your own doctor has started you on elafibranor, or already prescribes it
Besides that, you can give written consent
Finally, A carer may also consent separately to fill in questionnaires

Probably not a fit if: you are in another drug or device trial, or you are planning to join one.

Placebo group: None at all, because nothing is randomised and no study drug is given. Your normal care carries on as usual.
How long: 60 months, so about 5 years.
Clinic visits: No extra study visits at all. Data is collected at your routine appointments, which works out at roughly 10 over 5 years.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Only what your normal care already involves. Blood tests, a FibroScan and questionnaires. No biopsy.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill NC 27599 and MUSC, Charleston SC 29425.
Drive from Charlotte: Chapel Hill is about 145 miles northeast, so roughly 2 hours 20 minutes.
Be clear on this one: a registry gives you no new treatment. Instead, the value is specialist eyes on your case and adding your experience to the record.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

The One Aimed at the Itching

Mirum / Drug

A pill that blocks the gut from taking bile acids back in, tested against a dummy, purely for the itching this disease causes. You record your own itch score each day.

Mid stage, 260 people Ask about remote

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

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: the itching is what people rate as the worst part of living with this, and no treatment for it is well proven.

Who this study is looking for

Adults 18 and older
Also, A confirmed diagnosis under the standard guidelines
Besides that, itching that scores high enough on the study scale
Finally, your usual bile acid tablet and anti itch medicines can continue

Probably not a fit if: you have had bowel surgery involving the last part of the small intestine, because that is the exact spot the drug works on.

Placebo group: Yes, and the ratio is not published. However, your usual bile acid tablet is explicitly allowed to continue.
How long: The main result is at week 28, and the study completes in 2027.
Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. Every measure reads only from the start to week 28.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Blood draws plus a daily itch diary and questionnaires. No biopsy, scan or procedure is described.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Science 37 remote and home based telemedicine, Morrisville NC 27560.
Ask this before anything else: the only Carolina listing is a telemedicine provider in Morrisville NC. The record does not confirm the study can be done from home, so call and ask directly.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not sure which one fits you?

First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we keep them on file. Finally, we call you when a study opens near Charlotte. 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 This Research Matters Here in Charlotte

The itching nobody warns you about

Most people are found on a routine blood test, with no symptoms at all. For those who do get symptoms, two dominate. A relentless itch that gets worse at night and ignores ordinary creams, and a heavy tiredness that sleep does not fix. Meanwhile, neither of those shows up on the blood number doctors watch most closely. Also, it affects women far more often than men, usually in middle age.

What is actually being studied here

Gastonia, Rock Hill, Monroe, Concord, Huntersville. This is an uncommon disease, so it is spread thin across all of them. However, Charlotte genuinely used to be a centre for this research. Also, one study ran at a Charlotte practice and another at Huntersville, and both have closed. In fact, the Huntersville one is what led to elafibranor being approved.

So why is there nothing to join?

The trials here finished, and they worked. Two drugs were approved in 2024 on the strength of them. So those studies stopped recruiting, which is the normal end of a trial’s life.
One drug was withdrawn entirely. Obeticholic acid came off the US market in 2025. Meanwhile, every site running those studies lost that work at a stroke.
The new studies need transplant centres. They now ask about transplant and death over years rather than blood numbers over one. So they sit at big hospitals, not community practices.
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, one of the four studies here gives no treatment at all, because it only records what happens under normal care.

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. There is nothing here to join, and we will not dress that up. However, the reason is that the trials worked, and there are now three second line options where there was recently one. So the most useful thing on this page may be a conversation with your own doctor, plus a place on our list.

What Is Actually Happening in Primary Biliary Cholangitis

The reason nothing is open here is that the trials worked.

What It Actually Is

Your immune system attacks the tiny drainage pipes inside your liver that carry bile out to the gut. So bile backs up and slowly injures the liver, and over many years that can lead to scarring. It is uncommon, it affects women far more often than men, and it is usually found in middle age. Also, many people have no symptoms at all and are picked up on a routine blood test.

The Name Changed for a Reason

It used to be called primary biliary cirrhosis. The name was changed in 2015 to cholangitis, which means inflammation of the bile ducts. That happened because most people with this never develop cirrhosis at all. So the old name was frightening people for no good reason.

The Two Symptoms That Dominate

Itching is the one people rate as worst. It is often relentless, usually worse at night, and ordinary creams do not touch it, because it comes from substances building up in the blood. The other is a heavy tiredness that sleep does not fix. Meanwhile, neither of those shows up on the blood test doctors watch most closely.

For Years There Was One Drug

The only treatment was a bile acid tablet, and it works well for roughly 6 in 10 people. The problem was the other 4 in 10, who had almost nothing else to try. So the whole field was built around that gap. In fact, that is exactly the gap the last three years have filled.

Two New Drugs Arrived in 2024

Elafibranor was approved in June 2024, and seladelpar in August 2024. As Kris Kowdley of Liver Institute Northwest put it, the approval let doctors address a real unmet need. Aparna Goel of Stanford described patients getting their key blood number to normal for the first time in decades, on a second line treatment they can actually tolerate.

So Why Is Nothing Open Here?

Because the trials that used to run in Charlotte are the ones that produced those drugs. One ran at Charlotte and finished. Another ran at Huntersville and is now closed to new patients. Then a third drug was withdrawn from the US market in 2025, which ended its research programme too. So the local slots disappeared because the science moved on, not because you were passed over.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Notably, Atrium Health ran one of the trials that led to a new approval. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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What to Expect in a Liver 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.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis Trial FAQs

Real answers about PBC studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a study for this near Charlotte?

No, and there is nothing in Columbia either. We checked four separate ways rather than trusting one search. So the nearest real drug study is at Winston-Salem, about 80 minutes away, and it takes only people with cirrhosis. Also, one Carolina listing is a telemedicine provider, though the record does not confirm you can take part from home. So call and ask that directly before you plan anything around it.

Why is nothing open near me?

Because the trials that used to run here are the ones that produced the drugs you can now simply be prescribed. One ran in Charlotte and has finished. Another ran in Huntersville and is closed to new patients. Then a third drug was pulled from the US market in 2025, which ended its research programme too. So the local slots went away because the science moved on, not because you were passed over.

What are the new treatments?

Two arrived in 2024, after years of only one option. Elafibranor was approved in June and seladelpar in August, and both are taken as a daily tablet alongside the older one. As Aparna Goel of Stanford described it, some patients are getting their key blood number to normal for the first time in decades on a second line treatment they can tolerate. So ask your own doctor about them by name.

What happened to the older second line drug?

Obeticholic acid was voluntarily withdrawn from the US market in September 2025 at the regulator’s request, and its approval was formally withdrawn that November. Anyone who was taking it will have been moved to something else. Also, it now appears only as a rule that blocks you from joining newer studies.

Do I need a biopsy for this diagnosis?

Usually not, which surprises people. Doctors look for two of three things. A raised alkaline phosphatase kept up over about six months, a positive antibody blood test, and a biopsy only when those are unclear. So most people are diagnosed on blood tests alone.

What can be done about the itching?

It is worth raising specifically, because it is often treated as a side issue when it is the main problem. One study on this page exists purely to test a drug for it. Also, one of the newer approved tablets was reported to reduce itching as well as improving the blood numbers. So tell your doctor how much it affects your sleep, because that changes the conversation.

Will I be taken off my current tablet?

No study here asks you to stop your usual bile acid tablet. In the itching study it is explicitly allowed to continue. In the two cirrhosis studies it is not on the banned list, though the record does not spell that out. So confirm it with the clinic on your first call.

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 until a study opens closer?

We will not guess at a date. However, the studies now running are long outcome studies based at transplant centres, and that kind of study needs a big hospital rather than a community practice. So the honest answer is that the next wave may look different, and we will tell you when it arrives.

Where can I get care for this near Charlotte NC?

Generally, Atrium Health and Novant Health both run liver clinics across the metro, and Atrium ran one of the trials behind a new approval. Also, ask for your alkaline phosphatase result by name, because that number is both the diagnosis and the measure of whether treatment works. Your own doctor can refer you to a liver specialist. Meanwhile, if the itching is affecting your sleep, say so plainly, because there are options.

Ready to Explore a Study?

Get on the list, 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, across four separate search passes. On that date nothing was recruiting for this condition in either the Charlotte or Columbia metro. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

Tell me when a liver study opens near Charlotte →