CHARLOTTE, NC

Migraine Clinical Trials

Five migraine studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC, but only two of them take adults. The other three are for children and teenagers, and we would rather say that up front than pad a count. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.

Open Near Charlotte

Open to Adults

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, here is the honest picture. Five studies are open here, and three of them take nobody over seventeen. So here is how to use this page.

Keep a headache diary for two months. Because your monthly headache days decide almost everything, and studies count days rather than attacks.
List every preventive you have ever taken. Notably, the comparison study rules out anyone who has ever taken any of its three drugs.
Check the age range before you drive. In fact, three of the five open studies here take nobody over seventeen.
Finally, tap the button. Then we check you against every study we track and tell you which ones fit.

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

Studies Open Near Charlotte Right Now

Five in total, though only two are open to adults. Notably, one of those two has no dummy group at all.

For adults, and only two of the five qualify

One compares three approved preventives with no dummy at all. The other treats a single attack once it starts, and half the people get a dummy dose.

Three Real Drugs, and No Dummy Group

Mayo Clinic and PCORI / Head to head study

This compares three preventive tablets that are already approved and already in use. So every single person gets a real drug, and there is no dummy group at all. The three are atogepant, propranolol and topiramate, and which one you get is decided at random. Notably, daily headache and medication overuse headache do not shut you out here. Four sites run it around Charlotte.

Comparison study, 1,335 people No dummy

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: doctors genuinely do not know which of these three works best, or which people tolerate. Meanwhile, no dummy group means nobody spends twelve weeks on nothing.

Who this study is looking for

Four or more moderate or severe headache days a month
Also, migraine that started before you were 50, and has lasted a year or more
Besides that, willing to keep a daily diary for the first sixteen weeks
Finally, aged 18 to 70

Probably not a fit if: having ever taken any of the three rules you out. So atogepant, propranolol or topiramate at any point in your life closes this door. Also, being on any CGRP drug or any beta blocker now, and cluster headache.

Placebo group: None. All three groups get a real approved drug, so nobody receives a dummy.
How long: Four weeks of diary, twelve weeks of treatment, then checks at weeks 24 and 48.
Clinic visits: Seven in person, and the record says so outright. At the start, four weeks later for the assignment, then at weeks 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48.
Phone calls: None published.
Most invasive part: Nothing beyond tablets and forms. So there are no injections, no scans and no procedures in it.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Onsite Clinical Solutions at Park Cedar, Mecklenburg and Ballantyne in Charlotte, plus Salisbury NC.
Drive from Charlotte: Four sites run it, three inside Charlotte and one at Salisbury.
Check your old prescriptions before you call. Topiramate and propranolol are so commonly given that many treated people are already ruled out without realising it.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

For Stopping an Attack, Not Preventing One

Kallyope / Late stage tablet

This one treats a single attack once it has already begun. So it is not a preventive, and you take the dose at home when a migraine starts. The measures are whether the pain and your worst symptom are gone two hours later. Half the people get a dummy dose, so there is a real chance of that. You need your own smartphone for the diary.

Late stage study, 1,800 people Recruiting

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: the drugs that stop an attack have barely changed in years for many people. Meanwhile, this is a new kind of tablet aimed at that exact moment.

Who this study is looking for

Between 2 and 10 moderate or severe attacks a month, in each of the last two months
Also, migraine for more than a year, with attacks usually lasting 4 to 72 hours
Besides that, your own smartphone for the study diary
Finally, aged 18 to 75

Probably not a fit if: any cannabis, THC or CBD in the last three months rules you out. That catches people using CBD for pain, and it is stricter than most. Also, more than 15 headache days a month, or reaching for acute medicine on more than 10 days.

Placebo group: Yes. Half the design is a dummy dose, and the exact split is not published.
How long: You treat one attack, then safety is followed for eight days after the dose.
Clinic visits: About 3 in person, which are screening, the visit where you collect the drug, and an end of study visit. So the attack itself is treated at home.
Phone calls: None published.
Most invasive part: Blood tests and a heart tracing at screening. So the treatment itself is a tablet you take at home.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: OnSite Clinical Solutions, Charlotte NC 28277; and Carolina Research Center, Shelby NC 28150.
Drive from Charlotte: One site is in Charlotte at Ballantyne. Shelby is about 45 miles west.
This treats one attack, not your month. People often expect ongoing therapy, and that is a different kind of study altogether.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

For children and teenagers, which is three of the five

An adult cannot join any of these. Two take ages 6 to 17, and one takes ages 6 to 11 with only sixteen places in the whole country.

For a Child Having an Attack

Pfizer / Late stage tablet

This is for children and teenagers aged 6 to 17, and adults cannot join it. The tablet melts on the tongue, so there is no water and no swallowing needed. It is taken to stop an attack once it starts, rather than to prevent one. Half the children get a dummy tablet instead. Only one Charlotte site is open, so check the address carefully.

Late stage study, 2,100 children Ages 6 to 17

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: children get migraine too, and almost everything they are given was tested in adults. Meanwhile, a tablet that melts suits a child who is already feeling sick.

Who this study is looking for

Aged 6 to 17, and not turning 18 before the first visit
Also, migraine for more than six months
Besides that, between 1 and 8 moderate or severe attacks a month over the last two months
Finally, attacks lasting more than three hours without treatment

Probably not a fit if: a CGRP preventive injection rules a child out. So erenumab, fremanezumab and the rest are not allowed alongside this. Also, a preventive whose dose has changed in the last twelve weeks.

Placebo group: Yes. There is a dummy tablet group, so a treated attack may get nothing active.
How long: Not published in full. The study runs to 2029.
Clinic visits: About 3 or 4 in person, which are screening, the baseline visit and a safety check. So the attack itself is treated at home.
Phone calls: None published.
Most invasive part: Blood draws at study visits. So the treatment itself is a tablet that dissolves on the tongue.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: OnSite Clinical Solutions, Charlotte NC 28277.
Drive from Charlotte: The open site is in Charlotte, at Ballantyne in 28277.
Two Charlotte sites exist and only one is open. The Ballantyne location in 28277 is taking children. The other Charlotte location is not, so confirm the ZIP when you call.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

The Same Drug, but Nobody Gets a Dummy

Pfizer / Long term safety study

This is the companion study to the one above, and the difference matters to a parent. It is open label, which means everybody receives the real drug and everybody knows it. So there is no dummy anywhere in it. The trade is length, because it follows children for 58 weeks with regular blood tests. The Charlotte site is the same one.

Long term safety study, 600 children No dummy

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: knowing a drug is safe over a year in children is a separate question from whether it works. Meanwhile, no dummy group is the thing most parents ask about first.

Who this study is looking for

Aged 6 to 17, and weighing more than 15 kilograms
Also, migraine for six months or more
Besides that, between 1 and 8 moderate or severe attacks a month over the last two months
Finally, veins good enough for repeated blood tests, which is a written requirement

Probably not a fit if: cluster headache rules a child out, and so does hemiplegic migraine. Also, an untreated mental health condition, and any history of drug misuse. Notably, a confusing separate pain problem can also exclude.

Placebo group: None. It is open label, so every child gets the real drug.
How long: 58 weeks of safety follow up.
Clinic visits: Roughly 7 to 9 in person across the 58 weeks, because the liver checks need blood tests. But treat that as an estimate, since only the 58 week point is published.
Phone calls: None published.
Most invasive part: Repeated blood tests, with a focus on the liver. So good vein access is listed as an actual entry requirement rather than a detail.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: OnSite Clinical Solutions, Charlotte NC 28277.
Drive from Charlotte: The site is in Charlotte, at Ballantyne in 28277.
Ask whether they take children directly. The written rules do not require finishing the other study first, but sites sometimes only roll people over. So ask plainly.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

One Nasal Spray, and Only Sixteen Places

Pfizer / Early stage nasal spray

This is for young children only, aged 6 to 11, and it is very small. Sixteen children will join it in the whole country, so places go quickly. It is one spray into one nostril, given once, and everybody gets the real thing. However, it measures how the body handles the drug rather than whether it helps. The site is at Statesville.

Early stage study, 16 children Ages 6 to 11

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: dosing in a young child cannot simply be scaled down from an adult. Meanwhile, a nasal spray reaches a child who is being sick and cannot keep a tablet down.

Who this study is looking for

Aged 6 to 11
Also, A documented history of migraine for at least six months
Besides that, weighing more than 15 kilograms
Finally, no minimum number of attacks a month is required here

Probably not a fit if: an unrelenting headache in the last month rules a child out. Also, unusual migraine types, and anything affecting the nose such as recent surgery. Notably, an abnormal heart tracing at screening also excludes.

Placebo group: None. It is open label and a single dose, so every child gets the real spray.
How long: Up to ten weeks in total.
Clinic visits: Three at the clinic, and the record states that outright.
Phone calls: Two follow up phone calls, also stated outright.
Most invasive part: Blood samples on day one and again at 18 hours. So the 18 hour sample needs planning around school and work.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Accellacare at Piedmont HealthCare, Statesville NC 28625.
Drive from Charlotte: Statesville is about 40 miles north, so roughly 45 minutes on I-77.
This measures drug levels, not benefit. Your child gets one dose and is studied. So it answers a dosing question rather than treating a year of migraine.
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 tell you which studies near Charlotte you may fit. 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 Migraine Research Matters Here in Charlotte

Losing days you cannot get back

A day taken out of your week, in a dark room, with the phone face down. Meanwhile, the part people rank as worst is not the pain but the cancelling. So work, plans and other people’s patience all take the hit. In fact, most people underplay how many days a month it costs them until they write it down.

What is actually being studied here

Rock Hill, Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Matthews, Mooresville. This metro is busy for headache research, largely because one clinic group runs studies at several locations. So five studies are open, and three sit in Charlotte itself. However, three of the five take only children and teenagers, which leaves two for adults. Meanwhile, three other studies listing Charlotte sites were dropped because those rows have quietly closed.

So why does a busy metro still leave gaps?

The child studies came as a wave. Drugs approved in adults are then tested in children. So three paediatric studies opened here at once.
Past treatment closes doors. The comparison study rules out anyone who ever took its three drugs. However, two of those are standard first choices.
Cluster headache has nothing. It is excluded from both adult studies here. Meanwhile, nothing for it is recruiting in either metro.
Headers read open when rows are shut. Three studies listing Charlotte sites were dropped after their rows were read. In fact, that check is the whole job.
One clinic group carries most of it. Several of these run at the same organisation. So the metro’s count depends heavily on one operation.

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 adult study here has no dummy group at all, because all three of its groups receive an approved drug.

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. Five studies here, two for adults and three for children. Meanwhile, your monthly headache days and your past preventives decide most of it before anything else does. So the useful thing to do today is start a diary and dig out your old prescription list.

What Is Actually Changing in Migraine Treatment

A whole new drug family arrived in the last few years, and the argument now is which one to reach for first.

Stopping an Attack and Preventing One Are Different Jobs

Some drugs are taken when an attack starts, and others are taken every day to reduce how many you get. So a study is built for one job or the other, never both. Meanwhile, saying which one you need is the first question any clinic will ask. Notably, plenty of people need both, and that is normal.

The CGRP Family Changed the Field

CGRP is a signal involved in setting off a migraine, and a family of drugs now blocks it. Some are tablets, some are monthly injections, and one is a nasal spray. So this was the first genuinely new idea in decades. In fact, most of the studies on this page sit somewhere in that family.

Ask for Your Monthly Headache Days

Almost every study gates on how many days a month a headache stops you. So a simple diary for two months answers the question before anyone asks it. Count days rather than attacks, because that is how studies count. Meanwhile, having that number ready saves you weeks.

Fifteen Days Is the Line Between Two Words

Fewer than fifteen headache days a month is called episodic, and fifteen or more is called chronic. So that single line decides which studies will take you. One study here takes both, which is unusual and worth knowing. However, the attack treatment study on this page takes only the episodic kind.

Rebound Headache Is Real, and Fixable

Reaching for painkillers on too many days can itself keep the headaches coming. So most studies count how many days a month you take something acute. Ten days is a common line for the stronger drugs, and fifteen for simple ones. Notably, one study here does not exclude you for it, which is rare.

What You Have Already Tried Can Close Doors

The comparison study on this page rules out anybody who has ever taken any of its three drugs. Two of those three are among the most commonly prescribed preventives there are. So a lot of well treated people will not qualify, through no fault of their own. Meanwhile, checking your old prescriptions first saves a pointless appointment.

Cluster Headache Is a Separate Condition

Cluster headache is not a severe migraine, and it is not treated the same way. So it is written into both adult studies here as an exclusion. Meanwhile, nothing for it is open in either metro today. Generally, a headache specialist rather than a study is the right route for it now.

Children Are Studied Separately

Three of the five open studies near Charlotte take nobody over 17. One of those takes nobody over 11. So an adult reading a count of five open studies would be misled without that split. In fact, only two of the five are open to adults at all.

Ask Whether There Is a Dummy Group

It is a fair question and clinics expect it. One adult study here has no dummy at all, because every group gets an approved drug. Meanwhile, one child study is open label, so every child gets the real thing. So the answer differs sharply between studies that otherwise look alike.

Where Things Actually Stand Locally

Charlotte has five open studies, and Onsite Clinical Solutions runs most of them. The Midlands has none, and that was checked city by city rather than assumed. So the nearest options for a Columbia patient sit at Charleston and at Greenville. Meanwhile, several Carolina sites on these studies have quietly closed while the headline still reads open.

Migraine Help Near You

Keep a diary for two months, because your monthly headache days decide almost everything. Also, list every preventive you have ever taken, since past use can rule you out. Finally, ask whether the study prevents attacks or treats them, because those are different studies. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when something opens near you.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Onsite Clinical Solutions runs headache studies at several Charlotte locations and at Salisbury, with more at Statesville. So there is real capacity here.

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.

Visit Website →

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.

Visit Website →

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.

Visit Website →

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 Migraine 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.

Migraine Trial FAQs

Real answers about migraine studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a study for this near Charlotte?

Yes, five, though only two take adults. One compares three approved preventives with no dummy group at all, and the other treats a single attack once it starts. The remaining three are for children and teenagers, and one of those takes only ages 6 to 11. So the honest headline for an adult is two rather than five.

What is the difference between preventing and treating?

Prevention means taking something regularly to get fewer attacks. Treatment means taking something once one starts. So a study is built for one job or the other, never both. Meanwhile, saying which you need is the first question any clinic asks. Notably, plenty of people need both, and that is normal.

What are these new CGRP drugs?

CGRP is a signal involved in setting off a migraine, and a family of drugs now blocks it. Some are tablets, some are monthly injections, and one is a nasal spray. So it was the first genuinely new idea in this field in decades. In fact, most of the studies on this page sit somewhere in that family.

How many headache days do I need?

It depends on the study, and the number is a real gate. One nearby study wants four or more moderate to severe days a month. Another wants between two and ten attacks. So keep a diary for two months, counting days rather than attacks. Also, fifteen days a month is the line between the words episodic and chronic, and it decides which studies take you.

Can taking too many painkillers cause headaches?

Yes, and it is common enough to have its own name. Reaching for acute medicine on too many days can keep the headaches coming. So most studies count those days, with ten days a common line for stronger drugs and fifteen for simple ones. However, one study near Charlotte does not exclude you for it, which is unusual.

Why might my past treatments rule me out?

Because the comparison study near Charlotte excludes anyone who has ever taken any of its three drugs. Two of those three are among the most commonly prescribed preventives there are. So a lot of well treated people will not qualify, through no fault of their own. Meanwhile, checking your old prescriptions first saves a pointless appointment.

Is cluster headache included?

No, and it is worth saying plainly. Cluster headache is a separate condition, not a severe migraine, and it is treated differently. So it is written into both adult studies here as an exclusion. Meanwhile, nothing for it is open in either metro today, and a headache specialist is the right route.

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 Charlotte?

Atrium Health and Novant Health both run neurology services across the metro, and there are headache specialists in the city. Also, start a diary, because your monthly headache days decide almost everything. Generally, your own doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, ask whether you need prevention, attack treatment, or both.

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 17, 2026. Several studies in this field read as open at the headline while their Carolina sites are closed, and each row here was read individually. One study has two Charlotte sites and only one of them is taking people; that is stated on its card. Three further studies listing Charlotte sites were excluded because those rows read completed. Three of the five studies near Charlotte are open only to children and teenagers, and the counts on this page state that split rather than hiding it. Nothing for cluster headache is open in either metro, and cluster headache is a written exclusion on both adult studies. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

See which migraine studies near Charlotte fit me →