CHARLOTTE, NC

Vitiligo Clinical Trials

No vitiligo study is enrolling near Charlotte NC, and we would rather say so plainly. In fact, no vitiligo study is recruiting anywhere in North Carolina. Compensation is provided for eligible participants once one opens here.

0

Open in North Carolina

1

About 90 Minutes South

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, here is the honest picture. Nothing is open in this metro, or anywhere in the state, and the nearest study runs south rather than north. So here is how to use this page.

  1. Ask which kind of vitiligo you have. Because nearly every study takes the non segmental kind only, and the segmental kind is excluded.
  2. Ask for your VASI score, face and total. Notably, this study wants the face affected but the whole body kept under 10 percent, so more vitiligo can rule you out.
  3. Ask for a thyroid blood test. In fact, thyroid disease is the commonest condition to travel with this, and it is easily missed.
  4. Finally, tap the button. Then we check you against every study we track 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 Nearest Study to Charlotte

It runs in Columbia, about 90 minutes south. However, it takes children aged 2 to 11 only.

The nearest study, and it runs south rather than north

There is no recruiting vitiligo site anywhere in North Carolina. Also, this one takes children aged 2 to 11 only.

A Cream for Children, Rubbed On Rather Than Swallowed

Incyte / Late stage cream

Ruxolitinib cream is already approved for vitiligo in people aged 12 and over. This study takes it down to age two. So it is a cream applied to the skin rather than a tablet, which matters a great deal in children. Notably, the main measure is repigmentation of the face at 24 weeks. The site is in Columbia itself.

Late stage study, ages 2 to 11 Not near you

Payment is not published.

Get on the list →
More details

Why researchers are excited: a cream avoids the whole body exposure that a tablet brings, which is the central worry in small children. Also, nothing at all is approved below age 12.

Who this study is looking for

  • Age 2 to 11, with non segmental vitiligo
  • Also, at least half a percent of the face affected, and at least 2 percent elsewhere
  • Besides that, total vitiligo not more than 10 percent of the body
  • Finally, some pigmented hair still within the patches on the face
  • Also, willing to stop all other vitiligo treatments during the study

Probably not a fit if: the segmental kind does not qualify. Also, other causes of pale patches, such as tinea versicolor or postinflammatory changes. Notably, if a JAK treatment has already failed you for any condition, you are excluded.

  • Placebo group: Yes. Some children get a dummy cream, and the split is not published.
  • How long: The main read is at week 24. Meanwhile, treatment and follow up continue to week 52.
  • Clinic visits: Not published on the public record.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: Cream applied at home, plus blood tests for drug levels. Also, standard photographs at each visit. However, there are no injections.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Columbia Dermatology, Columbia SC 29212.
  • Drive from Charlotte: Columbia is about 93 miles south, so roughly an hour and a half on I-77.
  • Confirm it is still enrolling before you travel. The main read date passed on 10 August 2026, though the record still shows this site recruiting and the study runs to 2027.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

The Same Study, at Two South Carolina Sites

Incyte / Late stage cream

This is the same cream study as the one above, run at a second South Carolina site. It is a children’s study, from age two to eleven. So for a family in Charlotte, the choice is Columbia at about 90 minutes or Charleston at about three hours. Notably, there is no recruiting vitiligo site anywhere in North Carolina. Adults have nothing in reach at all.

Late stage study, ages 2 to 11 Not near you

Payment is not published.

Get on the list →
More details

Why researchers are excited: the nearest vitiligo research to Charlotte runs south, not north. Meanwhile, a state search on North Carolina returns a study that has no site in the state.

Who this study is looking for

  • Age 2 to 11, with non segmental vitiligo
  • Also, at least half a percent of the face affected, and at least 2 percent elsewhere
  • Besides that, total vitiligo not more than 10 percent of the body
  • Finally, willing to stop all other vitiligo treatments during the study

Probably not a fit if: adults do not qualify for this one at all. Also, the segmental kind is excluded, and so is previous JAK treatment failure.

  • Placebo group: Yes. Some children get a dummy cream, and the split is not published.
  • How long: The main read is at week 24. Meanwhile, treatment continues to week 52.
  • Clinic visits: Not published on the public record.
  • Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
  • Most invasive part: Cream applied at home, plus blood tests. Also, standard photographs.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425.
  • Drive from Charlotte: Charleston is about 200 miles south east, so roughly three and a quarter hours.
  • For adults, ask us to keep watching. Nothing for adults is open within reach of either city, so the list is the useful thing here.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not sure which one fits you?

First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we keep them on file. Finally, we call you when a study opens near 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 Vitiligo Research Matters Here in Charlotte

Watching a patch spread, and having no way to answer why

Pale patches that appear on the hands, around the eyes and mouth, often on both sides at once. Meanwhile, the part people rank as worst is being asked about it by strangers. So sleeves, makeup and holidays get quietly rearranged around it. In fact, the effect on confidence is measured in these studies now, because it is real and it is larger on darker skin where the contrast is greater.

What is actually being studied here

Rock Hill, Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Matthews, Mooresville. Nothing recruits in this metro, and nothing recruits anywhere in North Carolina either. However, the nearest study runs south in Columbia rather than north toward the university hospitals, which is the opposite of the usual direction. In fact, a state wide search on North Carolina returns a study with no site in the state at all.

So why is nothing open here?

  • The sites went to South Carolina. Columbia and Charleston both carry the study. Meanwhile, no North Carolina practice is on it.
  • Most of the field is paediatric now. The cream is already approved from age 12, so new studies target younger children. So adults have very little to join.
  • It gets called cosmetic. So it is treated as appearance rather than as an immune disease. However, the effect on confidence is measured in studies now.
  • The thyroid link goes unchecked. Thyroid disease travels with this more than any other condition. Notably, the blood test is rarely offered.
  • More vitiligo can rule you out. The nearest study caps the total at 10 percent of the body. In fact, extensive disease closes the door rather than opening it.

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 approved cream is available from age 12 without joining any study at all, so ask your dermatologist about it directly.

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 new 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. Nothing in this metro and nothing in the state, with the nearest study about ninety minutes south in Columbia and a second at Charleston. Meanwhile, both take children aged two to eleven only. So the useful thing to do today is ask about the approved cream and join the list.

What Is Actually Changing in Vitiligo

The first treatment that repigments skin was approved in 2022, and it is now moving into childhood.

What Is Actually Happening in the Skin

The immune system destroys the cells that make pigment. So the skin loses colour in patches, most often on the hands, face and around the eyes and mouth. It is not contagious and it is not a fungus. Notably, the cells can come back, which is why repigmentation is possible at all.

There Are Two Kinds, and It Matters

The non segmental kind is the common one, and it usually appears symmetrically on both sides. The segmental kind stays on one side, often starts younger, and behaves differently. So nearly every study takes the non segmental kind only. In fact, that is one of the commonest reasons people are screened out.

It Travels With Other Immune Conditions

Thyroid disease is the commonest partner, and it often goes unlooked for. So a thyroid blood test is a reasonable thing to ask for at diagnosis. Also, type 1 diabetes and patchy hair loss appear more often than chance would predict. Meanwhile, that pattern is a clue to the immune cause rather than a coincidence.

Ask for Your VASI Score

VASI stands for Vitiligo Area Scoring Index, and studies gate on it. F-VASI is the face alone, and T-VASI is the whole body. The study on this page wants the face affected but the total kept under 10 percent of the body. So more extensive vitiligo can actually rule you out, which surprises people.

Pigmented Hairs in the Patch Are a Good Sign

Colour returns from the pigment cells that survive in hair follicles. So a patch with dark hairs still in it has a reservoir to draw on. That is why the study here asks for pigmented hair on the face specifically. Meanwhile, a completely white patch, such as on the knuckles, responds far less well.

The Face Responds Best, the Hands Least

This is consistent across every study in the field. The face and neck do well, the trunk does moderately, and the hands and feet do poorly. So expectations should be set by location rather than by hope. In fact, that is why most studies measure the face as their main outcome.

2022 Was the Turning Point

Ruxolitinib cream was approved for non segmental vitiligo in July 2022. It was the first treatment ever approved that restores lost colour rather than just slowing the spread. Meanwhile, before that the options were steroid creams, light treatment and camouflage makeup. So the field went from managing it to treating it in a single step.

It Is Slow, and Slower Than People Expect

Repigmentation is measured at six months and at a year. So judging it at week eight tells you almost nothing. Also, light treatment is often combined with the cream, because the two work better together. Generally, patience matters here as much as the prescription does.

The Mental Health Part Is Real and Under Asked

This is a visible condition, and studies consistently find real effects on confidence and mood. So it is worth raising with your doctor rather than treating as vanity. Meanwhile, the effect is larger in people with darker skin, because the contrast is greater. In fact, several studies now measure quality of life alongside the skin.

Vitiligo Help Near You

Ask a dermatologist which kind you have, and ask for your VASI score in writing. Also, ask for a thyroid blood test, because that pairing is common and easily missed. Generally, your own doctor can run that one. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when something opens for adults near you.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Nothing runs in this metro or anywhere in North Carolina, while the nearest sites are at Columbia and Charleston. 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 a Vitiligo 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.

Vitiligo Trial FAQs

Real answers about vitiligo studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a study for this near Charlotte?

No, and we will not pretend otherwise. In fact, no vitiligo study is recruiting anywhere in North Carolina at present. However, one runs in Columbia about 93 miles south, with a second site at Charleston. Notably, both take children aged 2 to 11 only, so adults have nothing within reach.

What is a VASI score?

It stands for Vitiligo Area Scoring Index, and studies gate on it. F-VASI measures the face alone and T-VASI measures the whole body. Notably, the study here wants the face affected but the total kept under 10 percent of your body. So having more extensive vitiligo can actually rule you out, which surprises people.

Which kind of vitiligo do I have?

There are two, and it decides whether any study will take you. The non segmental kind is the common one and usually appears on both sides of the body. Meanwhile, the segmental kind stays on one side and often starts younger. So nearly every study takes the non segmental kind only, and that is a frequent reason people are screened out.

Can the colour actually come back?

Yes, and that is what changed in 2022. Pigment cells survive in the hair follicles inside the patch, so colour can spread back out from them. That is why a patch with dark hairs still in it responds better than a completely white one. However, it is slow, and it is measured at six months and a year rather than in weeks.

Why does the face do better than my hands?

This holds true across every study in the field. The face and neck respond best, the trunk moderately, and the hands and feet least of all. So expectations are better set by where your patches are than by how long you have had them. Notably, that is why most studies measure the face as their main result.

Should I have my thyroid checked?

Yes, and it is worth asking for by name. Thyroid disease is the commonest condition to appear alongside this one, and it often goes unlooked for. Also, type 1 diabetes and patchy hair loss turn up more often than chance would explain. So that pattern is a clue to the immune cause rather than a coincidence.

Will my child get a dummy cream?

Possibly, and the split is not published. The study compares the real cream against a dummy cream that looks identical. However, it is a cream rather than a tablet, which avoids whole body exposure. So ask the clinic what the odds are and what happens after the blinded part ends.

Is there anything for adults near here?

Not within reach, and we will not pretend otherwise. Every open vitiligo study in this region takes children aged 2 to 11. However, ruxolitinib cream is already approved for people aged 12 and over, so ask your dermatologist about it directly. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when an adult study opens.

Does it cost anything to check?

No. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. Tether is a nonprofit list, so we do not run studies and we are not paid to send you anywhere. Also, checking never enrolls anyone in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.

Where can I get help near Charlotte NC?

Atrium Health and Novant Health both run skin services across the metro. Also, ask for a dermatologist, and ask for a thyroid blood test at the same visit. Generally, your own doctor can order that one. Meanwhile, the approved cream is available from age 12 without joining any study.

Ready to Explore a Study?

Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Charlotte team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.

← Back to All Clinical Trials

Sources

Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 17, 2026. Every site row was read individually. A state wide search on North Carolina returned a study that has no North Carolina site at all, which is why we check the rows rather than the search results. The study listed here passed its main read date on August 10, 2026, though the record still shows both South Carolina sites recruiting and the study running to March 2027; confirm before you travel. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

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