CHARLOTTE, NC

Atrial Fibrillation Clinical Trials

3 paid atrial fibrillation studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC. One is built for people who cannot take blood thinners at all. Free heart monitoring and no insurance needed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.

Enrolling Now

Inside Charlotte

+/- $100

Per Visit

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First, these three could hardly be more different from each other. Also, each one wants a very specific person. So here is the fastest way to tell which is yours.

Can you take a blood thinner? Because the monthly shot study is only for people whose doctor said no.
Have you had a brain bleed? Notably, one study takes people 14 to 180 days after one, and that window closes fast.
Are you already booked for a heart plug? In fact, the third study just adds a scan on a day you were coming in anyway.
Finally, tap Check eligibility. Then we check you against all 3 at once and tell you when a new one opens here.

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

The 3 Atrial Fibrillation Studies Enrolling Near Charlotte

Every one is open today and checked this week. Notably, two of them have no dummy treatment at all.

A Monthly Shot for People Who Cannot Take Blood Thinners

Anthos Therapeutics / Drug

This is for people with atrial fibrillation whose doctor has ruled out the usual blood thinners. Abelacimab is a monthly shot built to stop clots without causing the same bleeding.

Late stage, nearing FDA review If you cannot take a blood thinner

Est. $2,000 or so, across up to 30 monthly visits

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: an earlier trial showed far less bleeding than the standard drug, so this could protect people who now get nothing.

Who this study is looking for

You have atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter
Also, you are at high risk of stroke
Besides that, your doctor has decided the usual blood thinners are not suitable for you
Finally, adults 18 and older

Probably not a fit if: you are doing fine on a blood thinner like Eliquis or Xarelto. Also, a mechanical heart valve rules you out.

Placebo group: Yes, half get a dummy shot. However, everybody here has already been judged unable to take a blood thinner, so the placebo group gets what they would have had anyway.
How long: Up to 30 months.
Clinic visits: Up to about 33 contacts, and the schedule is published. Screening, then a shot once a month, then an end visit and a safety check 30 days later.
Phone calls: Not published, and it is not stated whether every monthly dose must be given at the clinic.
Most invasive part: A shot under the skin once a month, plus routine blood draws.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Charlotte NC 28207, Statesville NC 28677, and Fort Mill SC 29707.
Read this first: this study is only for people already ruled out for normal blood thinners. So if you take one now without trouble, you are not eligible.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Blood Thinner or Aspirin After a Brain Bleed

Yale University with NIH StrokeNet / Drug

This is for people who have both atrial fibrillation and have survived a bleed inside the brain. It compares apixaban against aspirin, to see which better prevents a second stroke.

Late stage, practice changing No placebo

Payment is not published. Ask the clinic, because the visit schedule is not published either.

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: doctors have no good evidence here, because the drug that stops clot strokes is the one that might cause another bleed.

Who this study is looking for

Adults 18 and older
Also, A bleed in the brain confirmed on a CT or MRI scan
Besides that, you can start between 14 and 180 days after that bleed
Finally, atrial fibrillation or flutter, seen on a heart tracing

Probably not a fit if: you already have a clear reason to be on a blood thinner, or the bleed came from a tumour or an untreated tangle of vessels.

Placebo group: No dummy pill at all. Everybody gets a real medicine, either apixaban or aspirin, and you are not told which.
How long: At least 12 months and up to 36.
Clinic visits: A start visit, a 12 month check, then periodic follow up. However, the full schedule is not published, so ask the clinic for it in writing.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Blood draws and brain scans, though the scans are part of normal care after a bleed.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Presbyterian Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28204.
Worth knowing: the window is 14 to 180 days after the bleed. So anyone past six months is out, and referrals have to move quickly.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Can a CT Scan Replace the Throat Probe?

University Hospitals Cleveland with Boston Scientific / Imaging

People who get a plug fitted in the heart normally have an ultrasound probe passed down the throat 90 days later. This adds a CT scan on the same day, to see whether the scan can replace the probe.

Imaging comparison, no treatment change If you are getting a heart plug

Payment is not published. However, it adds one scan to care you were already having.

See if you fit →

More details

Why researchers are excited: if the scan works, thousands of people a year could skip a sedated throat probe for their device check.

Who this study is looking for

Adults over 18
Also, you are already scheduled to have the heart plug procedure
Besides that, your kidney function is 30 or above
Finally, you speak English

Probably not a fit if: your kidney function is under 30, or you have had a reaction to contrast dye, or you are pregnant.

Placebo group: None at all. Everybody gets both real scans, and nobody is denied any treatment.
How long: 1 year from the day of the procedure.
Clinic visits: 3 in person plus 1 phone call, and the record states it plainly. The procedure day, a routine check, the 90 day scan day, then a phone check in at a year.
Phone calls: Yes, the 1 year check in is by phone.
Most invasive part: The throat probe under sedation, which was happening anyway. Also, the CT adds a drip line and dye.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Charlotte NC 28277.
Worth knowing: both scans happen on the same day. So it is one long appointment rather than two trips.
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 all 3 studies. 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 Atrial Fibrillation Research Matters Here in Charlotte

The flutter that gets explained away

Somebody’s heart starts fluttering and they put it down to coffee, or stress, or not sleeping. Then it happens in the night and they cannot get their breath. Nobody uses the word atrial fibrillation at first, though. Instead, they say his heart was racing. Also, plenty of people only find out when a nurse takes a pulse for something else entirely.

What is actually being studied here

Gastonia, Rock Hill, Monroe, Statesville, Fort Mill. This rhythm turns up across all of them, and it gets more common with age. However, the research has split into three separate arguments. So one study tests a safer blood thinner, another tests whether you need one every day, and a third plugs the pouch instead. In fact, one of the three is not about treatment at all, because it asks whether a scan can replace a throat probe.

So why do people here fall behind?

It comes and goes. Many people feel nothing at all between episodes. So it gets found by accident, often years late.
The blood thinner is the hard part. The drugs that stop clots also cause bleeding, and that trade off has never been solved.
Some people can take nothing. Doctors rule out blood thinners for a large group. Meanwhile, one study here exists only for them.
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 study here exists specifically for people who have been told there is nothing they can safely take.

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 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. Two of these three involve no dummy treatment at all. Meanwhile, one is built for exactly the people who have been left with no option. So the question is not whether research is worth a look. Instead, it is whether another year of the same is.

What Is Actually Being Tested for Atrial Fibrillation

Three shifts, and they pull in different directions.

What Is Actually Happening in Your Heart

The two upper chambers quiver instead of squeezing in a steady beat. So blood moves sluggishly and can pool, especially in a small pouch called the left atrial appendage. If a clot forms there and breaks loose, it travels to the brain and causes a stroke. That is the whole reason most people with this rhythm are put on a blood thinner for life.

A Blood Thinner That May Not Cause Bleeding

The drugs that stop clots also cause bleeding, and that trade off has never been solved. A new class blocks a different clotting factor, on the theory that you can stop clots without the bleeding. As Christian Ruff of Brigham and Women’s Hospital put it, it should be enormously satisfying that these drugs live up to their promise of superior safety. Notably, that would open a door for people currently judged too bleed prone for anything.

Do You Really Need It Every Day?

The second shift questions the word lifelong. As Rod Passman of Northwestern put it, many people are on blood thinners for the rest of their lives even with infrequent episodes. He added a blunt question. Why should people take on the risk and cost of these drugs when they may not be benefiting? So one study here uses a smartwatch to give the drug only when the rhythm actually appears.

Plugging the Pouch Instead

The third route skips drugs entirely. A small implant seals off the pouch where clots form, so there is nowhere for them to start. That approach is already approved and is now expanding, with several new devices challenging the leader. In fact, two of the studies here are about that procedure rather than about medicine.

The Part About Checking the Device

After a plug is fitted, the standard check is an ultrasound probe passed down the throat under sedation. Most people find that the least pleasant part of the whole business. So one study here simply asks whether a CT scan can do the same job. Meanwhile, it adds nothing to your treatment, because both scans happen on a day you were already coming in.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Several of these run heart rhythm studies today. 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.

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 an Atrial Fibrillation 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.

Atrial Fibrillation Trial FAQs

Real answers about AFib studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there an atrial fibrillation study near Charlotte right now?

Yes, three. One runs in Charlotte, Statesville and Fort Mill, and it is for people who cannot take blood thinners. Another runs at Presbyterian in Charlotte, for people who have had a brain bleed. Also, a third runs in Ballantyne for people already booked for a heart plug procedure. So each one wants a very different person.

Will I have to stop my blood thinner?

No, and in most of these you keep taking exactly what you take now. One study is only for people whose doctor already ruled blood thinners out. Another gives everybody a real medicine, either apixaban or aspirin. Also, the smartwatch study changes when you take it rather than whether you take it.

What is the pouch everybody talks about?

It is the left atrial appendage, a small pocket off the top chamber of the heart. Blood moves slowly in it during this rhythm, so that is where clots tend to form. Sealing it with a small implant is now an approved way to lower stroke risk. Notably, several studies here are about that procedure rather than about medicine.

Is there a placebo?

It depends which. The monthly shot study does use a dummy shot, but only in people already ruled out for blood thinners. However, the brain bleed study has no dummy at all, because everybody gets a real medicine. Also, the device studies have no fake procedure. So most of these involve no dummy treatment of any kind.

Do I need insurance?

No. None of these require insurance. The study medicine, procedures and visits are provided at no cost. Also, you keep your own cardiologist throughout, and results are sent back to them. You would always call the clinic yourself.

What if my rhythm only comes and goes?

That is exactly who one of these studies wants. The smartwatch study takes people whose rhythm is not permanent, and it is testing whether daily blood thinners are really needed. However, it rules out anyone who has already had a stroke or mini stroke. So read that card carefully before you call.

What is the monthly shot study about?

Abelacimab is a shot given once a month that blocks a different clotting factor than the usual drugs. The idea is to stop clots without causing the same bleeding. An earlier trial showed far less bleeding than the standard drug. However, it is only open to people whose doctor already ruled out normal blood thinners.

Where can I get heart rhythm care near Charlotte NC?

Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute and Novant Health both run heart rhythm clinics across the metro. Also, ask specifically for an electrophysiologist, because that is the rhythm specialist. Your primary care doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, ask what your stroke risk score is, because that number decides most of your options.

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 15, 2026. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

See which atrial fibrillation study you qualify for →