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CHARLOTTE, NC

Peripheral Artery Disease Clinical Trials

6 paid leg circulation studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC. Four of them give everybody a real treatment with no dummy at all. Free imaging and no insurance needed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.

6

Enrolling Now

5

Inside Charlotte

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, these six cover very different stages of the same disease. Also, two of them have hard time windows. So here is the fastest way to find yours.

  1. How bad is it right now? Because cramping on a walk and a wound that will not heal lead to different studies.
  2. Have you just had a procedure? Notably, two studies only take you within 10 or 14 days of one.
  3. Check the invasive line. In fact, one of these creates a new connection between an artery and a vein, and that is major.
  4. Finally, tap Check eligibility. Then we check you against all 6 at once 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 6 Leg Circulation Studies Enrolling Near Charlotte

Charlotte is strong on this one. However, two of them close their door within 10 or 14 days of a procedure.

Opening and keeping open the artery

These three are about the procedure itself. Notably, in all of them both groups get a real artery opening.

Opening the Small Arteries Below the Knee

Acotec Scientific / Device

This is for leg circulation so poor that you have pain at rest or a wound that will not heal. So it compares a balloon coated in medicine against a plain balloon, and both open the artery.

Final device study before FDA review No placebo

Est. $1,100 or so, across about 11 visits

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More details

Why researchers are excited: arteries below the knee close up again notoriously fast, and solving that would directly prevent amputations.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 and older
  • Also, rest pain or a small wound from poor leg circulation
  • Besides that, the blockage sits below the knee and above the ankle
  • Finally, blood still reaches the foot through at least one artery

Probably not a fit if: an amputation above the mid foot is already planned, or you are on dialysis, or you cannot walk on your own.

  • Placebo group: No dummy treatment at all. Instead, both groups get their artery opened, one with a coated balloon and one with a plain one.
  • How long: Main result at 12 months, with follow up to 5 years.
  • Clinic visits: About 11 or 12, and the schedule is consistent across the record. The procedure, then 1 month, 3, 6, 12, then yearly to 5 years. Also, the wound is looked at in person each time in the first year.
  • Phone calls: Not published, though the later yearly checks may be by phone.
  • Most invasive part: Basically, a catheter and balloon in the arteries below the knee, with X ray dye and repeat ultrasound checks.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: South Charlotte General and Vascular Surgery, Charlotte NC 28278.
  • Read this first: you are only randomised after the doctor has already opened the blockage on the table. So you can be prepped and still come off the study if the result is not clean enough.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Two Kinds of Stent, Compared Head to Head

W.L. Gore and Associates / Device

This is for blockages in the pelvic arteries, which sit above the leg arteries. So it compares a covered stent against an ordinary bare metal stent, and both are real treatments.

Randomised device study No placebo

Est. $700 or so, across about 7 visits

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More details

Why researchers are excited: stenting there is routine, but nobody has ever properly compared covered against bare stents in complex blockages.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 and older
  • Also, symptoms from leg artery disease, from cramping on walking to a small wound
  • Besides that, A pelvic artery blockage that is more than half narrowed, or fully blocked
  • Finally, the blocked segment is about 4 to 11 centimetres long

Probably not a fit if: you already have a stent or a bypass in that leg, or your creatinine is above 2.5 without dialysis, or the disease extends into the main aorta.

  • Placebo group: No dummy treatment at all. Both groups receive a real stent, and the coin flip only decides which kind.
  • How long: 5 years of follow up.
  • Clinic visits: About 7. Baseline, the procedure, 1 month, 1 year, then yearly to 5 years.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: Basically, a stent placed in the pelvic artery through a catheter in the groin.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health, Charlotte NC 28210.
  • Worth knowing: the blind is not lifted until the 1 year visit. So if you have trouble in the first year, neither you nor your doctor will know which stent is in there.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Sending Blood to the Foot Through a Vein Instead

LimFlow / Device

This is for people whose leg arteries are so far gone that neither bypass nor a balloon is possible. So doctors connect an artery into a vein below the knee and reverse the flow, to get blood to the foot backwards.

Device study, 100 people When nothing else is left

Est. $700 or so, across about 7 contacts

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More details

Why researchers are excited: it offers a route to save a limb for people whose only remaining option today is amputation.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 to 95
  • Also, poor circulation with tissue loss, meaning a wound or dying tissue
  • Besides that, A specialist has judged you ineligible for both bypass surgery and standard balloon treatment
  • Finally, the foot wound is stable and your blood sugar is reasonably controlled

Probably not a fit if: you have an infection or bone infection above the mid foot, or a heart attack or stroke in the last 90 days.

  • Placebo group: None at all and no fake procedure. Everybody enrolled receives the treatment.
  • How long: 12 months of follow up.
  • Clinic visits: About 7. The procedure, then 72 hours, 30 days, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: The heaviest here. A connection is created between an artery and a vein in the lower leg using a stent graft system.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Charlotte NC 28203.
  • Read this honestly: the entry requirement is that you have been formally turned down for everything else. So this conversation usually happens at the same visit as a conversation about amputation.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Protecting you afterwards

These start within days of a leg procedure. So the window is tight, and it is worth asking before you leave hospital.

A New Kind of Clot Blocker After Leg Surgery

Regeneron / Drug

After a leg artery procedure clots are the danger, but blood thinners cause bleeding. So this tests antibodies that block one clotting protein, hoping to stop clots without the bleeding.

Late stage, 7,050 people Within 10 days of a procedure

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

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More details

Why researchers are excited: this is the clotting factor the body seems able to lose without bleeding badly, which is the long sought prize.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 and older
  • Also, A successful leg artery procedure in the last 10 days
  • Besides that, at least one extra clot risk, such as a graft, a stent, or diabetes on medicine
  • Finally, you are not already required to be on long term blood thinners

Probably not a fit if: you need ongoing blood thinners anyway, or you have a bleeding disorder, or you have had a brain bleed.

  • Placebo group: Yes, and there is also a real comparison drug. So you may get an antibody, a placebo, or rivaroxaban.
  • How long: About 42 months, with safety follow up to about 45.
  • Clinic visits: Not published in full. The clotting tests run to about week 9, which points to a cluster of early visits. However, everything after that simply reads up to 42 months.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: Generally, shots under the skin and repeated blood draws. Notably, the leg procedure happens before you enrol.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Accellacare of Piedmont, Mooresville NC 28117.
  • Worth knowing: the 10 day window is the hard part. So this is realistically only offered to somebody identified at or right after their procedure.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

A Twice a Year Shot Started Right After Your Procedure

Duke University with Novartis / Drug

Inclisiran is a shot given about twice a year that lowers bad cholesterol. So this tests starting it right after a leg or heart artery procedure, instead of waiting months.

Late stage, already approved drug Within 14 days of a procedure

Est. $1,000 or so, across about 10 or 11 visits

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More details

Why researchers are excited: people leave the procedure room under treated for cholesterol, and this closes that gap on the same day.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 and older
  • Also, A leg artery or heart procedure in the last 14 days
  • Besides that, the procedure was for symptoms from clogged arteries
  • Finally, able to give informed consent

Probably not a fit if: another artery procedure is already planned, or you use a shot like Repatha, or you have had inclisiran before.

  • Placebo group: Yes, half get a salt water shot instead. However, your own doctor keeps managing your usual medicines.
  • How long: About 4 years.
  • Clinic visits: About 10 or 11, and the dosing schedule is published. Day 1, month 3, then every 6 months after that.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: Just a shot under the skin plus blood draws. Notably, the leg procedure itself was standard care.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Novant Health, Charlotte NC 28204, and Mecklenburg Heart Specialists, Charlotte NC 28207.
  • Worth knowing: it runs until enough events happen, so your own follow up could stretch past four years.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

For a sudden blockage

This one is an emergency study rather than something you plan. We list it so you know it exists.

Sucking a Fresh Clot Out of a Leg Artery

Penumbra / Device

This is for a sudden blockage rather than long standing cramping. So a catheter vacuums a fresh clot out of the leg artery, and researchers record how blood flow recovers.

Observational, device already in use Emergency only

Payment is not published. Notably, enrolment happens in an emergency.

Read the details →
More details

Why researchers are excited: a sudden leg blockage used to mean hours of clot busting drugs in intensive care, and this compresses it to one procedure.

Who this study is looking for

  • Adults 18 and older
  • Also, A confirmed blockage in the leg artery
  • Besides that, symptoms started 14 days ago or less
  • Finally, this device is being used as the first treatment

Probably not a fit if: your symptoms have gone on longer than 14 days, or the blockage is caused by something other than a clot, or you cannot receive contrast dye.

  • Placebo group: None at all. Everybody receives the device, because nothing is randomised or withheld.
  • How long: 180 days.
  • Clinic visits: About 4. The procedure, straight afterwards, then 30 days and 180 days.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: Basically, a catheter passed into the leg artery to suck the clot out.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Concord NC.
  • Drive from Charlotte: Concord is about 22 miles northeast, so roughly 30 minutes on I-85.
  • Read this first: this is for sudden blockage, not long standing cramping. So enrolment happens in an emergency and cannot be planned for.
  • 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 6 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 Leg Circulation Research Matters Here in Charlotte

The walk that keeps getting shorter

Somebody’s calf starts cramping after a couple of blocks, and they stop and wait for it to pass. Then the distance gets shorter, and they start planning walks around where they can sit down. Nobody says artery disease at first, though. Instead, they say it is arthritis, or age, or being out of shape. Also, a sore on the foot that will not heal often gets treated as a wound problem rather than a blood flow problem.

What is actually being studied here

Gastonia, Rock Hill, Monroe, Mooresville, Concord. Poor leg circulation turns up across all of them, and it is badly under diagnosed. However, Charlotte is unusually well covered here, with six studies inside the metro. So they range from cramping on a walk right through to saving a foot. In fact, one of them is for people who have already been turned down for every standard option.

So why do people here fall behind?

  • It gets blamed on age. Cramping when you walk gets put down to arthritis or being out of shape. So the diagnosis often arrives years late.
  • The test is simple and rarely done. Comparing blood pressure at the ankle and the arm takes minutes. However, most people are never offered it.
  • Wounds get treated as wounds. A sore that will not heal is often managed as a skin problem. Meanwhile, the real problem is that blood is not reaching it.
  • Arteries close again fast. Reopening one is the easy part, especially below the knee. Notably, three studies here exist because of that.
  • The windows are tight. Two of these take you only within 10 or 14 days of a procedure. So the moment to ask is while you are still in hospital.

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, four of these six give everybody a real treatment, because there is no dummy procedure in any of them.

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. Four of these six involve no dummy treatment at all. Meanwhile, one of them is the only remaining option for people otherwise facing amputation. 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 Leg Circulation

From cramping on a walk to saving a foot.

It Is the Same Disease as a Heart Attack

The fatty, calcified narrowing that blocks heart arteries also blocks the arteries feeding your legs. Early on it causes cramping in the calf or thigh after walking a set distance, which goes away with rest. So people put it down to arthritis or getting older and never mention it. However, a simple test comparing blood pressure at your ankle and your arm catches most cases in a few minutes.

The Stage Where It Threatens the Leg

As it worsens, blood flow can drop so low that the foot hurts at night, or a sore refuses to heal. That stage has a name, and it is the point where the risk shifts from discomfort to losing the limb. Notably, several studies here are built entirely around that stage. In fact, one of them only takes people who have already been turned down for every standard option.

Two Real Treatments, Compared Honestly

Doctors argue about whether to open a blocked leg artery with a balloon or to bypass it with surgery. On the big trial that compared them, Alik Farber of Boston Medical Center said the findings support complementary roles for the two strategies. Kenneth Rosenfield of Massachusetts General put it more bluntly. There should not be a one size fits all approach, because both are very effective and safe and the decision has to be made person by person.

Keeping the Artery Open Afterwards

Reopening an artery is the easy part. Keeping it open is the hard part, especially below the knee. So two studies here test balloons coated in medicine, and one compares two kinds of stent head to head. Meanwhile, another takes a completely different route by attacking the clotting itself. As Matthew Menard of Brigham and Women’s put it, the goal of this work is to fill in some of the key missing pieces.

Protecting the Rest of You at the Same Time

If your leg arteries are clogged, your heart arteries usually are too. So one study here starts a cholesterol shot on the day of your leg procedure rather than months later. That matters because people leave the procedure room under treated and then nothing happens for a year. In short, the leg is the symptom and the whole arterial system is the disease.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Atrium Health, Novant Health and several vascular practices run these between them. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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What to Expect in a Leg Circulation 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.

Leg Circulation Trial FAQs

Real answers about peripheral artery disease studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a leg circulation study near Charlotte right now?

Yes, six, which makes this one of our better covered conditions. Five run inside Charlotte and one is in Concord, about 30 minutes northeast. Also, they cover everything from cramping on a walk through to saving a foot. So the right one depends heavily on what stage you are at.

Is leg cramping really an artery problem?

Often yes, and this is the most missed thing on the page. Cramping that comes on after a set walking distance and goes away with rest is the classic sign. Also, a simple test comparing blood pressure at your ankle and your arm catches most cases in a few minutes. So ask for that test by name if walking has been getting harder.

Does this mean my heart is at risk too?

Yes, and that is the part people are not told. The same fatty narrowing that blocks leg arteries blocks heart arteries. So one study here starts a cholesterol shot on the day of your leg procedure rather than months later. In short, the leg is the symptom and the whole system is the disease.

Is there a placebo?

In most of these, no. Both balloon studies give everybody a real artery opening, and the stent study gives everybody a real stent. Also, the leg blood flow study and the clot suction study give everybody the real treatment. However, the clot blocker study does use a dummy shot, and the cholesterol study uses salt water. So the majority involve no dummy treatment at all.

Do I need insurance?

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

What is the study for people facing amputation?

It is for people whose arteries are so far gone that neither bypass nor a balloon is possible. Doctors connect an artery into a vein below the knee and reverse the flow, so blood reaches the foot backwards. There is no placebo, because everybody enrolled gets the treatment. However, you have to have been formally turned down for every standard option first.

Where can I get leg circulation care near Charlotte NC?

Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute and Novant Health both run vascular clinics across the metro. Also, ask for a vascular specialist rather than general care, and ask for the ankle test by name. Your primary care doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, if you have a sore on your foot that has not healed in two weeks, treat that as urgent.

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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.

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