Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials

Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials in Charlotte. Here Is What You Should Know.

Alzheimer’s is the most active area of clinical research in the country right now. After decades of failed trials, the field has finally produced two FDA-approved disease-modifying drugs (lecanemab and donanemab) and dozens more in development. Charlotte’s local sites have unusually deep AD expertise — Flourish Research in Matthews is led by Dr. Mohammed Reza Bolouri, who has 20+ years in Alzheimer’s research, and New Hope Clinical Research in SouthPark has a 30-bed inpatient unit and a track record of CNS work.

The 5 trials featured here cover the full spectrum of Alzheimer’s care. Three target early Alzheimer’s — the window where a new drug has the most chance of slowing decline. Two target the behavioral symptoms (agitation, psychosis) that often become the hardest part of late-stage AD for both patient and caregiver. Every one of these trials is being run by an experienced site that has done AD work before, not a general practice picking up its first dementia study.

If you’re a family member reading this for someone you love, the most important first step is the screening visit. It tells you exactly where they are on the cognitive spectrum, what biomarkers they have, and which trials (if any) they qualify for. That information is valuable even if no trial ends up being right. Many families come out of screening with the clearest picture of the disease progression they’ve ever had.

New to clinical trials? Read our Clinical Trials 101 guide →

What “Study Partner” Means and Why It Matters

Almost every Alzheimer’s trial requires a “study partner” — someone who knows the patient well and can attend study visits with them. Usually this is a spouse, an adult child, or a close friend. Sometimes a paid caregiver who’s been with the patient for a long time. The role is real: study partners answer questions the patient can’t, report changes the patient might not notice, and serve as the legal contact for important decisions.

Most trials require the study partner to be in contact with the patient at least 10 hours per week. That’s not 10 hours of intense caregiving — it can be a weekly dinner plus regular phone calls. The visit schedule typically allows the partner to attend most appointments without missing work for the entire day.

If you don’t have an obvious study partner, talk to the site coordinators anyway. Sometimes professional care managers can fill the role for participants who live independently. Compensation typically covers both the patient and the partner’s time.

How to Pick the Right Trial

Where the patient is on the Alzheimer’s spectrum determines which trial fits. Early-stage Alzheimer’s — when memory problems have started but daily function is mostly preserved — is the window targeted by the Buntanetap, MK-2214, and KarXT MINDSET trials. The score that matters is the MMSE (Mini-Mental State Exam), which is a quick 30-point test done at screening. Higher scores = milder impairment.

For mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s (MMSE 12-22 range), the KarXT MINDSET trial is your most likely fit. For the early end (MMSE 20-28), Buntanetap and MK-2214 are both options. The right call depends on whether your loved one is already on a standard AD medication, whether they can commit to the trial length, and what biomarkers their doctor has or hasn’t already run.

If behavioral symptoms (agitation, restlessness, irritability, or psychotic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations) are the biggest concern right now, the two New Hope trials are designed for exactly that. These are shorter (6-8 weeks of treatment) and are aimed at symptom relief, not slowing the disease itself.

The best way to figure out which trial fits is to talk to the site coordinator. They can usually tell you in 10 minutes on the phone whether a particular trial is even worth screening for.

Why Charlotte is a Strong AD Research City

Five active Alzheimer’s trials across two sites is more than most cities of Charlotte’s size offer. The depth is unusual — Flourish Research is an Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence in a national network with 5,500+ completed trials, and its medical director has 20+ years of AD experience specifically. When sponsors place trials at Flourish, they place several at once because the site team and Dr. Bolouri already know the population, the assessments, and the protocols. That clustering is what gives Charlotte families real choice.

For families in Ballantyne, Matthews, Gastonia, Concord, Monroe, Rock Hill, or anywhere in the metro, both sites are easily reachable — typically a 20-45 minute drive depending on where you start. The infrastructure is here.