CHARLOTTE, NC

Underactive Thyroid Clinical Trials

1 underactive thyroid study is enrolling near Charlotte NC, about 45 minutes up I-85. It has no placebo, so everybody gets a real thyroid medicine. Free lab work and no insurance needed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.

Enrolling Near You

Miles to Salisbury

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, there is one real option about 45 minutes from Charlotte. Also, the thyroid field is in the middle of a genuine argument right now. So here is how to work through this page.

Start with the Salisbury study. Because it is the only one you can reach easily, and it has no placebo.
Check how long you have been stable. Notably, it wants a full year on the standard pill with your TSH in range.
Ignore the not yet open sites. In fact, one study lists four Carolina locations, and none of them is recruiting today.
Finally, put your name in. Because that is how we know to call you when something opens inside Charlotte.

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

Underactive Thyroid Studies Nearest to Charlotte

One is a short drive away and has no placebo. Meanwhile, the other two are further out, and one has not opened its Carolina sites.

Enrolling a short drive from Charlotte

Salisbury is about 44 miles up I-85. Notably, this study has no placebo at all, because both groups get a real medicine.

Natural Thyroid Against the Standard Pill

AbbVie / Drug

Armour Thyroid is a natural medicine made from pig thyroid, and it holds both thyroid hormones. The standard pill holds only one. This asks whether people stay just as well controlled after they switch.

Late stage, 2,800 people Recruiting

Est. $500 to $600 or so, across at least 5 or 6 visits

Check eligibility →

More details

Why researchers are excited: this pill has been used for over a hundred years, but nobody has ever put it through a large modern trial.

Who this study is looking for

Underactive thyroid diagnosed at least 12 months ago
Also, taking the standard pill without a break for at least 12 months
Besides that, A steady daily dose of at least 25 micrograms
Finally, your TSH is in range now, and was in range on an earlier test too

Probably not a fit if: you are allergic to pork or avoid it, or you have had surgery that changes how you take in medicine.

Placebo group: None at all. Everybody gets a real thyroid medicine, either the natural one or the standard pill. However, it is blinded, so you would not know which.
How long: About 90 weeks, so roughly 21 months.
Clinic visits: At least 5 or 6, and likely more. The main measure needs a good TSH at week 55 and at an earlier visit, with none out of range in between. So there are repeat blood draws. But no total is published.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Blood draws for TSH. Nothing more than that is described.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Accellacare, Salisbury NC 28144.
Drive from Charlotte: Salisbury is about 44 miles northeast, so roughly 45 minutes straight up I-85.
Read this first: you have to be well controlled and in range for a full year first. So it shuts out the very people most drawn to natural thyroid, meaning those who still feel unwell.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not near you, but worth knowing about

One runs at a single site in Connecticut. Also, the other lists Carolina sites that have not opened yet, so read that card carefully.

How Much T3, and How Often?

UConn Health / Drug

Everybody gets real thyroid medicine, but in three ways. The standard pill alone, or that pill plus T3 once a day, or that pill plus T3 split into two daily doses.

Mid to late stage, a careful pilot Not near you

Payment is not published. Notably, it runs at a single site in Connecticut.

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: this is the study under the whole T3 argument, because nobody has ever tested the right dose and timing.

Who this study is looking for

A history of underactive thyroid
Also, you take the standard pill now
Besides that, your dose is a full replacement dose rather than a token one
Finally, you weigh between 110 and 220 pounds

Probably not a fit if: you already take T3 or natural thyroid, or you are pregnant or planning to be in the next 6 months.

Placebo group: No sugar pill at all. All three groups get real thyroid hormone, and the comparison is between three real ways of giving it.
How long: 6 months of treatment.
Clinic visits: At least 4, because the dose is raised in steps and the record names several follow up visits. However, no exact total is published.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Blood draws and urine pregnancy tests. Nothing more than that.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: UConn Health, Farmington CT 06030.
Two rules that surprise people: starting a weight loss drug gets you dismissed, and so does changing the dose of your cholesterol or reflux medicine.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

A Second Natural Thyroid Product Seeking Approval

Neuvosyn Laboratories / Drug

A pig based natural thyroid tablet, taken by people who are stable on the standard pill, to see whether their TSH stays in range after they switch. Everybody gets the real medicine.

Late stage, open label Carolina sites not open yet

Payment is not published. Also, no Carolina site is open yet.

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: natural thyroid has never been approved the modern way, and a second sponsor going for it could change that.

Who this study is looking for

Primary underactive thyroid, including Hashimoto’s
Also, A steady dose of at least 50 micrograms daily for at least 12 weeks
Besides that, your thyroid levels have been normal for at least 6 weeks
Finally, willing to use reliable birth control if you could become pregnant

Probably not a fit if: you have taken a weight loss medicine in the past 6 weeks, or you have uncontrolled diabetes, or you were in hospital for a major illness in the past 5 weeks.

Placebo group: None and no comparison group either. Everybody gets the real tablets and everybody knows it.
How long: About 7 months, with the main result at 24 weeks.
Clinic visits: At least 5 and realistically 6. Screening, baseline, at least two interim blood draws, week 24 and week 30.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Blood draws plus a heart tracing with sticky pads. So no needles beyond the blood work.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Two Miami FL sites open now. Raleigh NC, Winston-Salem NC, Charleston SC and North Charleston SC are listed but not yet recruiting.
Read this carefully: four Carolina sites are listed, in Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charleston and North Charleston, but every one of them is not yet recruiting. So today only two Miami sites are actually open.
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 what is open. Finally, we call you when a thyroid study opens closer to Charlotte. 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 Thyroid Research Matters Here in Charlotte

The tiredness that gets blamed on everything else

Somebody is exhausted, cold all the time, and cannot lose weight no matter what. Then the fog sets in, and they start writing things down because they cannot hold them in their head. Nobody says thyroid at first, though. Instead, they say it is stress, or age, or having young children. Also, when the test comes back it often gets written off as borderline.

What is actually being studied here

Gastonia, Rock Hill, Monroe, Kannapolis, Salisbury. Underactive thyroid is common across all of them, and it hits women about five to eight times more often than men. However, the good research is not about finding it. It is about what to do when the pill does not fix how you feel. In fact, the study nearest Charlotte tests a medicine used for over a hundred years without real proof.

So why is there only one study here?

It is treated as solved. The standard pill has been in use for 50 years. So sponsors have had little reason to run new trials until now.
The unhappy patients are hard to study. The people who still feel unwell on a normal blood test are who the argument is about. However, most trials need a normal test to enter.
This is changing fast. Two companies are now chasing approval for natural thyroid pills. Meanwhile, a college trial is testing T3 dosing for the first time.
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, the study near Charlotte has no placebo, so both groups get a real thyroid medicine throughout.

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

Add it up. There is one real option 45 minutes away, and it comes with regular lab work at no cost. Meanwhile, this is the most active thyroid research has been in decades. So the useful thing this page can do is point you at what is open and tell you when more arrives.

What Is Actually Being Argued About in Thyroid Treatment

A real disagreement, and it is finally being tested.

The Standard Pill Supplies Only One Hormone

A healthy thyroid makes two hormones, T4 and T3. The standard pill supplies only T4, and it assumes your body turns that into T3 well enough. For most people that assumption holds. However, roughly 10 to 15 percent of treated people still feel unwell even when their blood test looks perfect.

That Is Where the Argument Starts

One idea is that T4 alone does not bring T3 back to normal in every tissue. Common gene changes in how you make that switch may play a part. But individual trials of adding T3 have genuinely conflicted with each other. As Leonard Wartofsky of MedStar put it, the groups that write the guidelines have not backed taking both, but nor have they ruled it out.

What Patients Actually Prefer

A 2025 review of 11 trials, from the American Thyroid Association, asked a different question. It asked people which one they liked better, rather than which fixed a lab value. 52 percent liked taking both or the natural pill, 24 percent liked the standard pill alone, and 24 percent had no view. So the question shifted from what the numbers say to what people actually want.

Safety Is Not the Sticking Point Anymore

Francesco Celi of Virginia Commonwealth put it directly. There is no proof that taking both does harm if it is done right. He also made a point worth repeating here. People can go looking for other paths that lead to real harm, so doctors need to find a middle ground and work with them. Notably, that is why well run trials of these pills matter.

Three Things Make This Moment Unusual

First, a company is running the first large modern trial of natural thyroid against the standard pill, with 2,800 people. Then a second company is going for approval of its own natural thyroid pill. Also, an academic trial is finally asking what the right dose and timing of T3 actually is. Meanwhile, a fourth study runs the other way, asking whether many older adults are over treated and should take less.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

The nearest thyroid study runs in Salisbury. But sites add new studies all the time, so it is worth knowing what else 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 a Thyroid 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.

Underactive Thyroid Trial FAQs

Real answers about hypothyroidism studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a thyroid study near Charlotte right now?

Yes, one, and it is in Salisbury, about 44 miles up I-85. It puts natural thyroid up against the standard pill. Notably, there is no placebo, because both groups get a real medicine. There is nothing inside Charlotte itself today.

What is the T4 and T3 argument about?

A healthy thyroid makes both hormones, but the standard pill gives only T4. That assumes your body turns it into T3 well enough, and for most people it does. However, about 10 to 15 percent of treated people still feel unwell with a perfect blood test. So the argument is whether adding T3 helps them, and the trials so far have not agreed.

Is natural thyroid extract safe?

It has been used for over a hundred years, which is the problem, because it was never really tested. Francesco Celi of Virginia Commonwealth has said there is no proof that taking both does harm if it is done right. Also, the guideline groups have not backed it or ruled it out. In short, that gap is why the Salisbury study exists.

Do most people prefer it?

More than you might expect. A review of 11 trials found 52 percent liked taking both or the natural pill, 24 percent liked the standard pill alone, and 24 percent had no view. So the question moved from what the labs say to what people actually want. However, what people like is not proof, which is what these studies are trying to get.

Would I have to stop my levothyroxine?

For the Salisbury study you switch rather than stop. You must be on a steady dose for a full year first. Then you move to natural thyroid or stay on the standard pill. Also, you would not know which, because it is blinded. Meanwhile, your TSH is checked repeatedly throughout.

Why does it want people who feel fine?

This is the frustrating part, and we would rather name it. The Salisbury study needs you well controlled and in range for a full year before you can enter. So it shuts out the people most drawn to natural thyroid, meaning those who still feel unwell on the standard pill. In short, the trial answers a question next door to the one many readers have.

What about those Carolina sites I saw listed?

Be careful with those. One study lists sites in Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charleston and North Charleston, and every one of them is not yet recruiting. Today only two sites in Miami are actually open for that study. So we label them plainly rather than send you somewhere that would turn you away.

Do I need insurance?

No. None of these require insurance. The study medicine and study 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.

Can I join if I have Hashimoto’s?

Usually yes, because Hashimoto’s is the top cause of an underactive thyroid here. What the studies care about is that your thyroid is slow and your dose is steady. Also, the cause matters less than the control. So mention it when you call, but do not assume it rules you out.

Where can I get thyroid care near Charlotte NC?

Atrium Health and Novant Health both run hormone clinics across the metro. Also, ask for a full panel rather than a TSH alone, because that is where the talk gets stuck. Your primary care doctor can refer you to a hormone doctor. Meanwhile, if you feel unwell on a normal result, say so plainly rather than take the number.

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. On that date the nearest recruiting site to Charlotte was in Salisbury NC. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

See if you fit the thyroid study near Charlotte →