Charlotte, NC & the Carolinas
Parkinson’s Clinical Trials Near Charlotte, NC
Active Parkinson’s clinical trials in Charlotte and the Carolinas — covering motor fluctuations, early PD, LRRK2-genetic PD, cell & gene therapy, and Lewy Body psychosis. Local site in Rock Hill plus regional sites at Wake Forest, UNC, and Duke.
6
Active Studies
4
Carolinas Sites
$200
Per Visit Combined
Parkinson’s Clinical Trials Charlotte Patients Can Join
One local site in Rock Hill (25 min south of Charlotte) plus regional partner sites at Wake Forest, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke. Compensation is $100/visit each for the patient and their study partner / caregiver.
Lenrispodun for Motor Fluctuations
Intra-Cellular Therapies / PDE1 Inhibitor
A new pill you add to your levodopa. It quiets an enzyme called PDE1, which helps the dopamine you already have work harder and last longer between doses. Four weeks of treatment with a simple home diary where you mark your ON and OFF times. Roughly 4–5 clinic visits total.
$100/visit each for patient + study partner. Travel reimbursed.
CREXONT ER — Wake Forest
Amneal / Phase 4 / Extended-Release Levodopa
An FDA-approved extended-release version of carbidopa/levodopa. It releases the medicine more slowly over the day, so you get smoother symptom control and less wearing-off. You switch from your current pill to CREXONT for six weeks and track your ON/OFF time. About 4 clinic visits.
$100/visit each for patient + study partner. Travel reimbursed.
NEULARK (NEU-411) — Early LRRK2 PD
Neuron23 / Phase 2 / Genetic-Targeted LRRK2 Inhibitor
A daily pill designed to slow PD in people whose disease is driven by an overactive gene pathway called LRRK2. About 5–15% of PD cases fit. You get a free DNA test first — if you qualify, you take one pill a day for a year. After that you can continue in an open-label extension where everyone gets the active drug.
$100/visit each for patient + study partner. Travel & lodging reimbursed.
REGENERATE-PD — AAV2-GDNF Gene Therapy
AskBio / Bayer / Phase 2 / Gene Therapy
A one-time gene therapy. In a single brain surgery, surgeons deliver a growth factor called GDNF directly to the part of the brain that PD is damaging — the goal is to help your remaining dopamine cells stay alive longer. You are randomized 2:1 to either the gene therapy or a control procedure, then followed for 18 months. Big commitment, potentially big payoff.
Procedural surgical study — separate sponsor compensation schedule. Travel, lodging, & surgical care covered.
exPDite-2 — Bemdaneprocel Cell Therapy
BlueRock / Bayer / Phase 3 / Stem Cell Therapy
A one-time stem-cell transplant. Lab-grown dopamine neurons are placed into your brain to replace the cells PD destroys. You take immune-suppressing medication afterward so your body accepts the new cells. Primary follow-up is 18 months, with safety checks for up to 5 years. This is the first Phase 3 stem-cell trial in PD history.
Procedural surgical study — separate sponsor compensation schedule. Travel, lodging, & surgical care covered.
ACP-204 for Lewy Body / PD Dementia Psychosis
ACADIA / Phase 2 / Antipsychotic
A new pill from the maker of NUPLAZID — designed to ease the hallucinations and delusions that often come with PD dementia and Lewy Body Dementia. The goal is to quiet psychotic symptoms without dulling movement or thinking. Six weeks of treatment, with a caregiver attending visits.
$100/visit each for patient + caregiver. Travel & lodging reimbursed.
Featured Regional Partner Sites
Most cutting-edge Parkinson’s research sits at academic medical centers. We partner with three across the Carolinas. If you are open to traveling for advanced gene therapy, cell therapy, or LRRK2-genetic studies, we help arrange travel and lodging.
Winston-Salem, NC · 1.5h
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Janeway Tower adult neurology, led by Dr. Deepal Shah-Zamora. Runs CREXONT ER and other PD pharma studies. About 90 minutes north of uptown Charlotte on I-77.
Chapel Hill, NC · 2.5h
UNC Hospitals — Movement Disorders
Led by Dr. Daniel Roque. Runs NEULARK LRRK2 trial, REGENERATE-PD gene therapy, and ACP-204 for Lewy Body psychosis. Center for cutting-edge experimental PD work in NC.
Durham, NC · 2.5h
Duke Neurological Disorders Clinic
Runs exPDite-2 Phase 3 stem-cell therapy, REGENERATE-PD gene therapy, and Buntanetap long-term safety for DBS patients. Duke Neurosurgery handles the surgical arm.
Travel & lodging: For studies at our regional partner sites, qualifying participants get sponsor-paid travel reimbursement plus a hotel arranged on overnight-stay visits. Tell us up front if travel is a concern — we will help you figure out logistics before you commit.
Parkinson’s Clinical Trials in Charlotte. Here Is What You Should Know.
Parkinson’s research is in a different place than it was even five years ago. Two of the most exciting trial categories in all of neurology — single-dose gene therapy (REGENERATE-PD) and lab-grown dopamine cell transplants (exPDite-2) — are recruiting right now in North Carolina. Add to that a genetically-targeted LRRK2 drug (NEULARK) and a new extended-release levodopa formulation (CREXONT) and the menu of Parkinson’s clinical trials Charlotte residents can join has never been deeper.
Charlotte has limited local PD research — here is the honest geography.
We searched every recruiting Parkinson’s clinical trial in NC and SC. The truth is most movement-disorder research clusters at academic medical centers: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, and MUSC. We confirmed one truly local study (Lenrispodun in Rock Hill, SC — 25 minutes south of uptown), one at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem (90 minutes), and a handful at UNC and Duke (about 2.5 hours). We do not exaggerate site distances — if you see “local” on the card, the site is inside Mecklenburg County or the immediate metro.
Gene therapy and cell therapy are not science fiction anymore.
REGENERATE-PD delivers AAV2-GDNF — a gene therapy designed to restore growth-factor signaling to the dopamine cells that PD is killing — through a one-time stereotactic brain surgery at UNC or Duke. exPDite-2 is the first Phase 3 stem-cell trial for PD: bemdaneprocel is lab-grown midbrain dopamine neurons implanted directly into the brain. Both are sham-surgery controlled and follow up for years. These are not first-in-human studies — these are pivotal, late-stage trials with real chance of approval.
If you have a study partner, you both get paid.
PD trials almost always require a study partner — a spouse, adult child, or caregiver who attends visits and helps complete the Hauser motor diary. On the studies above, both the patient AND the study partner are compensated $100 per visit. That is a meaningful number across a 12–18 month protocol. The surgical trials (REGENERATE-PD, exPDite-2) follow a separate sponsor compensation schedule, but they cover travel, lodging, and the entire cost of the surgical care.
Common Questions About Parkinson’s Clinical Trials
Will I be taken off my current Parkinson’s medications?
No. Every Parkinson’s clinical trial on this page is studied as an add-on to your existing levodopa or DBS regimen, or as a single procedural treatment that does not change your daily meds. You will need to be on a stable dose for 4 weeks before screening — we help coordinate that with your neurologist.
What is a “study partner” and is it mandatory?
A study partner is a person — spouse, adult child, friend, or paid caregiver — who knows your symptoms well and can help complete the home Hauser diary and attend visits. Most PD interventional trials require one. They get paid $100 per visit too on the qualifying studies.
Do I have to have had PD for a certain number of years?
It depends on the study. NEULARK is for early PD (Hoehn & Yahr 1–2.5). REGENERATE-PD wants diagnosis in the past 4–10 years. exPDite-2 wants 4 to under 12 years. Lenrispodun and CREXONT focus on the wearing-off / motor-fluctuation stage, which usually shows up after several years on levodopa. We help match you to the right study based on where you are.
What is the LRRK2 test for the NEULARK trial?
About 5–15% of PD cases involve elevated activity in a pathway called LRRK2 — a gene that becomes overactive in some people’s PD. NEU-411 is designed to quiet that pathway. A free DNA test (no cost to you) tells us if you qualify. If you don’t, that doesn’t mean your PD isn’t real — it just means a different study is a better fit.
If I get a placebo, am I just wasting my time?
Not at all. You keep all of your current Parkinson’s medications throughout the study. You get free comprehensive movement-disorder evaluation, free study visits, free travel/lodging on the regional studies, and the per-visit compensation. Many studies (NEULARK, exPDite-2) also offer open-label extensions that give the active drug to everyone after the blinded phase ends.
I already have a DBS — am I disqualified?
No — it actually opens a specific study. The buntanetap long-term safety study (Duke Durham) has a dedicated cohort for people with successful DBS implants. The surgical studies (REGENERATE-PD, exPDite-2) do exclude prior brain surgery, but the levodopa and add-on studies (CREXONT, Lenrispodun) accept DBS patients on stable settings.
Our Charlotte-Area Research Partners
None of the Charlotte clinics below have a recruiting Parkinson’s trial today — but they have the CNS & movement-disorder capability to run one. If a new PD study opens close to home, it will likely run at one of these.
Atrium Health
Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies
Neurology, Cardiology, Dementia, Diabetes, Heart Failure
Charlotte’s largest health system. Affiliated with Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Has the neurology and imaging infrastructure to host PD interventional studies if a sponsor places one here.
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. Largest independent respiratory research network in Charlotte with 4 locations across Charlotte, Rock Hill, Lake Norman, and Charleston.
Visit Website →
Monroe Biomedical Research
Monroe, NC / 17+ active studies
Phase 1 capability, Hypertension, Obesity, Asthma, IBD
Ranked among top 5 highest-enrolling research sites in the nation. 6,300 sq ft facility with Phase 1 overnight capabilities. Named 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. 3,500 sq ft facility next to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Over 10 years running with expedited regulatory processing.
Visit Website →
OnSite Clinical Solutions
Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 10+ active studies
Neurology, Cardiology, GI, Dermatology, Rheumatology
Partners with local Charlotte physicians across cardiology, GI, dermatology, neurology, and rheumatology. Phase I through IV capabilities — has the neurology arm to host a PD trial.
Visit Website →
Flourish Research
Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies
CNS, Movement Disorders, Early Alzheimer’s, Psychiatry
Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. 20+ years in CNS & movement-disorder research. Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. Part of a national network with 5,500+ completed trials — strong fit for future PD pharma work.
Visit Website →
New Hope Clinical Research
SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies
CNS, Psychiatry, Alzheimer’s Psychosis, Mood Disorders
Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. Phase I through IV facility with a 30-bed inpatient unit. Clean FDA audit. Strong fit for any future PD psychosis or PD inpatient work given their CNS infrastructure.
Visit Website →See if a Parkinson’s trial matches you in 3 minutes.
Quick screener, no medical jargon. A real human follows up the same day — no robo-call, no obligation. If nothing fits today, we keep you on file and reach out the moment a new Charlotte-area PD trial opens.
Take the Parkinson’s screener →