COLUMBIA, SC
Vitiligo Clinical Trials
1 study is enrolling for vitiligo inside Columbia SC right now. Notably, it takes children aged 2 to 11, and it uses a cream rather than a tablet. You may be compensated for your time, and no insurance is needed.
1
Open in Columbia
2
Youngest Age Taken
+/- $100
Per Visit
New here? Read how this page works
First, two things decide whether this will take your child, and neither is how long the vitiligo has been there. So here is the order to work through.
- Ask which kind of vitiligo you have. Because nearly every study takes the non segmental kind only, and the segmental kind is excluded.
- Ask for your VASI score, face and total. Notably, this study wants the face affected but the whole body kept under 10 percent, so more vitiligo can rule you out.
- Ask for a thyroid blood test. In fact, thyroid disease is the commonest condition to travel with this, and it is easily missed.
- Finally, tap the button. Then we check you against every study we track and tell you when a new one opens.
Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.
The Study Enrolling Near Columbia Right Now
It runs inside the city. However, it takes children aged 2 to 11 only, so adults have nothing in reach.
The study open here, and a second site down the coast
Both are the same study. However, it takes children aged 2 to 11 only, so adults have nothing in reach.
A Cream for Children, Rubbed On Rather Than Swallowed
Incyte / Late stage cream
Ruxolitinib cream is already approved for vitiligo in people aged 12 and over. This study takes it down to age two. So it is a cream applied to the skin rather than a tablet, which matters a great deal in children. Notably, the main measure is repigmentation of the face at 24 weeks. The site is in Columbia itself.
Payment is not published.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: a cream avoids the whole body exposure that a tablet brings, which is the central worry in small children. Also, nothing at all is approved below age 12.
Who this study is looking for
- Age 2 to 11, with non segmental vitiligo
- Also, at least half a percent of the face affected, and at least 2 percent elsewhere
- Besides that, total vitiligo not more than 10 percent of the body
- Finally, some pigmented hair still within the patches on the face
- Also, willing to stop all other vitiligo treatments during the study
Probably not a fit if: the segmental kind does not qualify. Also, other causes of pale patches, such as tinea versicolor or postinflammatory changes. Notably, if a JAK treatment has already failed you for any condition, you are excluded.
- Placebo group: Yes. Some children get a dummy cream, and the split is not published.
- How long: The main read is at week 24. Meanwhile, treatment and follow up continue to week 52.
- Clinic visits: Not published on the public record.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: Cream applied at home, plus blood tests for drug levels. Also, standard photographs at each visit. However, there are no injections.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Columbia Dermatology, Columbia SC 29212.
- Drive from Columbia: This one is inside Columbia itself, off Broad River Road.
- Confirm it is still enrolling before you travel. The main read date passed on 10 August 2026, though the record still shows this site recruiting and the study runs to 2027.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
The Same Study, at Two South Carolina Sites
Incyte / Late stage cream
This is the same cream study as the one above, run at a second South Carolina site. It is a children’s study, from age two to eleven. So for a family in Charlotte, the choice is Columbia at about 90 minutes or Charleston at about three hours. Notably, there is no recruiting vitiligo site anywhere in North Carolina. Adults have nothing in reach at all.
Payment is not published.
Get on the list →More details
Why researchers are excited: the nearest vitiligo research to Charlotte runs south, not north. Meanwhile, a state search on North Carolina returns a study that has no site in the state.
Who this study is looking for
- Age 2 to 11, with non segmental vitiligo
- Also, at least half a percent of the face affected, and at least 2 percent elsewhere
- Besides that, total vitiligo not more than 10 percent of the body
- Finally, willing to stop all other vitiligo treatments during the study
Probably not a fit if: adults do not qualify for this one at all. Also, the segmental kind is excluded, and so is previous JAK treatment failure.
- Placebo group: Yes. Some children get a dummy cream, and the split is not published.
- How long: The main read is at week 24. Meanwhile, treatment continues to week 52.
- Clinic visits: Not published on the public record.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: Cream applied at home, plus blood tests. Also, standard photographs.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425.
- Drive from Columbia: Charleston is about 115 miles south east, so roughly an hour and fifty minutes.
- For adults, ask us to keep watching. Nothing for adults is open within reach of either city, so the list is the useful thing here.
- 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 study we track. Also, no account and no paperwork.
See if I may fit one of these studies →What Is Actually Changing in Vitiligo
The first treatment that repigments skin was approved in 2022, and it is now moving into childhood.
What Is Actually Happening in the Skin
The immune system destroys the cells that make pigment. So the skin loses colour in patches, most often on the hands, face and around the eyes and mouth. It is not contagious and it is not a fungus. Notably, the cells can come back, which is why repigmentation is possible at all.
There Are Two Kinds, and It Matters
The non segmental kind is the common one, and it usually appears symmetrically on both sides. The segmental kind stays on one side, often starts younger, and behaves differently. So nearly every study takes the non segmental kind only. In fact, that is one of the commonest reasons people are screened out.
It Travels With Other Immune Conditions
Thyroid disease is the commonest partner, and it often goes unlooked for. So a thyroid blood test is a reasonable thing to ask for at diagnosis. Also, type 1 diabetes and patchy hair loss appear more often than chance would predict. Meanwhile, that pattern is a clue to the immune cause rather than a coincidence.
Ask for Your VASI Score
VASI stands for Vitiligo Area Scoring Index, and studies gate on it. F-VASI is the face alone, and T-VASI is the whole body. The study on this page wants the face affected but the total kept under 10 percent of the body. So more extensive vitiligo can actually rule you out, which surprises people.
Pigmented Hairs in the Patch Are a Good Sign
Colour returns from the pigment cells that survive in hair follicles. So a patch with dark hairs still in it has a reservoir to draw on. That is why the study here asks for pigmented hair on the face specifically. Meanwhile, a completely white patch, such as on the knuckles, responds far less well.
The Face Responds Best, the Hands Least
This is consistent across every study in the field. The face and neck do well, the trunk does moderately, and the hands and feet do poorly. So expectations should be set by location rather than by hope. In fact, that is why most studies measure the face as their main outcome.
2022 Was the Turning Point
Ruxolitinib cream was approved for non segmental vitiligo in July 2022. It was the first treatment ever approved that restores lost colour rather than just slowing the spread. Meanwhile, before that the options were steroid creams, light treatment and camouflage makeup. So the field went from managing it to treating it in a single step.
It Is Slow, and Slower Than People Expect
Repigmentation is measured at six months and at a year. So judging it at week eight tells you almost nothing. Also, light treatment is often combined with the cream, because the two work better together. Generally, patience matters here as much as the prescription does.
The Mental Health Part Is Real and Under Asked
This is a visible condition, and studies consistently find real effects on confidence and mood. So it is worth raising with your doctor rather than treating as vanity. Meanwhile, the effect is larger in people with darker skin, because the contrast is greater. In fact, several studies now measure quality of life alongside the skin.
Vitiligo Help Near You
Ask a dermatologist which kind you have, and ask for your VASI score in writing. Also, ask for a thyroid blood test, because that pairing is common and easily missed. Generally, your own doctor can run that one. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when something opens for adults near you.
Research Sites Near Columbia
One research site inside the city carries this study, with a second down at Charleston. But sites add new studies all the time, so it is worth knowing what is near you.
Prisma Health Richland Hospital
Downtown Columbia / 37+ active studies
Cancer, blood disorders, broad hospital research
The flagship Prisma Health hospital in the Midlands. Also, by far the biggest trial operation in the Columbia metro.
Visit Website →
University of South Carolina
Columbia / 27+ active studies
Stroke recovery, physical activity, community health
Notably, a research university that runs federally funded health studies across the Midlands. Specifically, topics range from stroke rehab to disease prevention.
Visit Website →
Bogan Sleep Consultants
Columbia / 7+ active studies
Narcolepsy, sleep disorders
One of the best known private sleep research sites in the Southeast. Also, it has run sleep trials for decades.
Prisma Health Midlands Cardiovascular
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Cardiovascular disease, heart failure
The heart and vessel research arm of Prisma Health in the Midlands. So it is the natural home for cholesterol trials in Columbia.
Visit Website →
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, Midlands
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Pediatric growth, cystic fibrosis
Basically, the Midlands hub for children’s research inside the Prisma Health system.
Visit Website →
Columbia Dermatology & Aesthetics
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, obesity
A skin care practice with its own research team. It runs both skin and weight studies.
Velocity Clinical Research, Columbia
Columbia / Multiple active studies
COPD, skin conditions, vaccines
Part of one of the biggest research site networks in the country. Besides, it is just the kind of site the huge outcome trials lean on.
Visit Website →
Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
Garners Ferry Road, Columbia / 2+ active studies
Atherosclerosis, liver disease
Columbia’s VA medical center runs studies, including ones on clogged arteries. For veterans, it is often the first door.
Visit Website →
Objective Health, Columbia
Columbia / 2+ active studies
Celiac disease, fatty liver disease
Once called Columbia Digestive Health Research. Now it is part of the Objective Health network. Specifically, it runs gut and liver studies, including fatty liver trials.
Columbia Gastroenterology Associates
Columbia / Active studies
Digestive conditions
A long-running gut health practice. Also, it takes part in digestive trials around Columbia.
What to Expect in a Vitiligo Study
New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.
01
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.
02
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.
03
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.
04
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.
Vitiligo Trial FAQs
Real answers about vitiligo studies near Columbia SC.
Is there a study for this near Columbia?
Yes, one is open, and it runs inside the city. It tests a cream that is already approved from age 12, in children aged 2 to 11. Notably, it wants the face affected but the whole body kept under 10 percent, so extensive vitiligo can rule a child out. However, it takes children only, so adults have nothing within reach of either city.
What is a VASI score?
It stands for Vitiligo Area Scoring Index, and studies gate on it. F-VASI measures the face alone and T-VASI measures the whole body. Notably, the study here wants the face affected but the total kept under 10 percent of your body. So having more extensive vitiligo can actually rule you out, which surprises people.
Which kind of vitiligo do I have?
There are two, and it decides whether any study will take you. The non segmental kind is the common one and usually appears on both sides of the body. Meanwhile, the segmental kind stays on one side and often starts younger. So nearly every study takes the non segmental kind only, and that is a frequent reason people are screened out.
Can the colour actually come back?
Yes, and that is what changed in 2022. Pigment cells survive in the hair follicles inside the patch, so colour can spread back out from them. That is why a patch with dark hairs still in it responds better than a completely white one. However, it is slow, and it is measured at six months and a year rather than in weeks.
Why does the face do better than my hands?
This holds true across every study in the field. The face and neck respond best, the trunk moderately, and the hands and feet least of all. So expectations are better set by where your patches are than by how long you have had them. Notably, that is why most studies measure the face as their main result.
Should I have my thyroid checked?
Yes, and it is worth asking for by name. Thyroid disease is the commonest condition to appear alongside this one, and it often goes unlooked for. Also, type 1 diabetes and patchy hair loss turn up more often than chance would explain. So that pattern is a clue to the immune cause rather than a coincidence.
Will my child get a dummy cream?
Possibly, and the split is not published. The study compares the real cream against a dummy cream that looks identical. However, it is a cream rather than a tablet, which avoids whole body exposure. So ask the clinic what the odds are and what happens after the blinded part ends.
Is there anything for adults near here?
Not within reach, and we will not pretend otherwise. Every open vitiligo study in this region takes children aged 2 to 11. However, ruxolitinib cream is already approved for people aged 12 and over, so ask your dermatologist about it directly. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when an adult study opens.
Does it cost anything to check?
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, checking never enrolls anyone in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.
Where can I get help near Columbia SC?
Prisma Health and Lexington Medical Center both run skin services across the Midlands. Also, ask for a dermatologist, and ask for a thyroid blood test at the same visit. Generally, your own doctor can order that one. Meanwhile, the approved cream is available from age 12 without joining any study.
Ready to Explore a Study?
Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Columbia team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.
← Back to All Clinical TrialsSources
Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 17, 2026. Every site row was read individually. A state wide search on North Carolina returned a study that has no North Carolina site at all, which is why we check the rows rather than the search results. The study listed here passed its main read date on August 10, 2026, though the record still shows both South Carolina sites recruiting and the study running to March 2027; confirm before you travel. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.