COLUMBIA, SC
Psoriasis Clinical Trials
1 study is open to new patients in Columbia SC, and there is no dummy in it anywhere. However, the honest headline is that the approved drugs got very good, and a pill approved in March 2026 may beat any study for you. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.
1
Open in Columbia
70%
Reach Clear Skin on the New Pill
+/- $100
Per Visit
New here? Read how this page works
First, the honest picture. One study runs here, and for most readers an approved drug is the better target. So here is the order to work through.
- Ask for your PASI, your body surface area and your sPGA. Because studies gate on all three, and being turned away at 11.4 rather than 12 happens constantly.
- Check which family of drug you have already tried. Notably, IL-23 blocker, IL-17 blocker or a pill tells a site more than the brand name does.
- Ask about the approved drugs first. In fact, a pill approved in March 2026 now gets about 70 percent of people to clear or almost clear skin, so that may beat any study.
- Finally, tap the button. Then we tell you the day a new skin study opens near you.
Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.
The Study Open in Columbia
It runs at a skin research practice here. Notably, it requires you to stay on your biologic rather than stop it.
The one study open here
It runs at a skin research practice on the Irmo side. Notably, there is no dummy in it anywhere.
Treating the Skin and the Weight as One Problem
Eli Lilly / Drug
You keep taking the skin biologic you already started, and a weekly weight loss shot is added on top. Everyone gets the real thing, because there is no dummy in this study at all.
Payment is not published.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: almost everyone with this has been told weight makes it worse. However, hardly anyone has been told what happens if you treat both at once, and that is the whole question here.
Who this study is looking for
- Plaque psoriasis diagnosed by a skin doctor
- Also, A BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 30 with a weight linked condition
- Besides that, you started ixekizumab about 3 months ago
- Finally, you can start the added shot within 30 days
Probably not a fit if: you have ever taken a GLP-1 drug. Any past Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro shuts this door, and those are now so widely used that it rules out a great many people. Also, the drug window is tight, so more than 4 months or less than 2 means no.
- Placebo group: None at all. Open label and single arm, so everyone gets the real drug and knows it.
- How long: Up to 12 months.
- Clinic visits: Not published in full. Readings are taken at the start, month 6 and month 12.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: A weekly shot you give yourself, on top of the skin shot you already take. Also, weight and skin measures and a fair number of forms. No drips and no skin biopsy.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Columbia Dermatology and Aesthetics, Columbia SC 29212.
- Drive from Columbia: This one is on the Irmo side, about 20 minutes from downtown.
- Read the window twice: you must have been on ixekizumab about 3 months, give or take one. So two happy years on it means you do not fit.
- 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 every study we track. Also, no account and no paperwork.
See if I may fit one of these studies →What Is Actually Changing in Psoriasis
In March 2026 it stopped being a choice between clear skin and a pill.
What Is Going On in the Skin
Your immune system tells skin cells to grow far faster than they should. Instead of taking about a month to rise and shed, they pile up in days. So you get raised thickened patches that are scaly and silver on lighter skin, and purple, grey or dark brown on darker skin. Notably, it is not catching and it has nothing to do with how clean you are.
One Loop Drives Almost All of It
A messenger protein called IL-23 switches on immune cells, which release IL-17, which drives the skin changes. Nearly every modern drug for this cuts that loop at one point or another. So the drug names fall into families. IL-23 blockers, IL-17 blockers, and pills that block the relay inside the cell. In fact, knowing which family you have tried tells you more than the brand name does.
Not All Psoriasis Is the Same
Plaque psoriasis is the common form, at roughly 8 or 9 in every 10 cases, and every study here is a plaque study. Generalised pustular psoriasis is a different and much rarer disease that happens to share the name, and it can be an emergency. Meanwhile, guttate and inverse forms are usually excluded, and no study for any of those is open in either city.
The Three Numbers to Ask For
First is your PASI, which runs 0 to 72 and combines redness, thickness, scale and how much of you is covered. Most studies want 12 or more. Second is your body surface area, worked out with your own palm and fingers counting as about 1 percent, and studies usually want 10 percent or more. Third is your sPGA, a 0 to 4 snapshot, where studies want 3 or above.
Why Screening Failure Is So Common
Because these numbers are measured on the day, and psoriasis moves. Being turned away because your PASI came in at 11.4 rather than 12 happens constantly, and it is maddening. So ask your skin doctor for those three numbers in writing before you invest time in screening. Also, ask what your score was at its worst, because that helps a site judge whether screening is worth booking.
The Bar Moved From Control to Clear
A decade ago the goal was a 75 percent improvement. Now the goal is 90 or 100 percent, meaning skin that is simply clear. A pill arrived in September 2022 that blocks the relay inside the cell without carrying the warnings that older pills do. Then in October 2023 a shot arrived that blocks two arms of IL-17 rather than one, pushing clearance higher again. So within about four years the whole idea of a good result changed.
And Then March 2026 Changed the Trade
On 18 March 2026 the first targeted pill that blocks the IL-23 receptor was approved, for adults and children of 12 and over. Until then, IL-23 level clearance meant injections, and choosing a pill meant accepting less. In its studies about 70 percent reached clear or almost clear skin by week 16. Meanwhile, for a teenager who refuses needles, that is not a small thing.
Which Is Why So Little Is Being Studied Here
This is the honest part, and it is good news wearing bad news clothing. When the approved drugs get this good, a local skin clinic can simply treat you rather than enrol you. So one study runs in each of these two cities, and it is the same study, asking a question the approvals never answered. Also, the more useful move for most readers is asking a skin doctor which of the approved drugs fits them.
Research Sites Near Columbia
A skin research practice on the Irmo side carries the local study. But sites add new studies all the time, so it is worth knowing what sits near you.
Prisma Health Richland Hospital
Downtown Columbia / 37+ active studies
Cancer, blood disorders, broad hospital research
The flagship Prisma Health hospital in the Midlands. Also, by far the biggest trial operation in the Columbia metro.
Visit Website →
University of South Carolina
Columbia / 27+ active studies
Stroke recovery, physical activity, community health
Notably, a research university that runs federally funded health studies across the Midlands. Specifically, topics range from stroke rehab to disease prevention.
Visit Website →
Bogan Sleep Consultants
Columbia / 7+ active studies
Narcolepsy, sleep disorders
One of the best known private sleep research sites in the Southeast. Also, it has run sleep trials for decades.
Prisma Health Midlands Cardiovascular
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Cardiovascular disease, heart failure
The heart and vessel research arm of Prisma Health in the Midlands. So it is the natural home for cholesterol trials in Columbia.
Visit Website →
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, Midlands
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Pediatric growth, cystic fibrosis
Basically, the Midlands hub for children’s research inside the Prisma Health system.
Visit Website →
Columbia Dermatology & Aesthetics
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, obesity
A skin care practice with its own research team. It runs both skin and weight studies.
Velocity Clinical Research, Columbia
Columbia / Multiple active studies
COPD, skin conditions, vaccines
Part of one of the biggest research site networks in the country. Besides, it is just the kind of site the huge outcome trials lean on.
Visit Website →
Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
Garners Ferry Road, Columbia / 2+ active studies
Atherosclerosis, liver disease
Columbia’s VA medical center runs studies, including ones on clogged arteries. For veterans, it is often the first door.
Visit Website →
Objective Health, Columbia
Columbia / 2+ active studies
Celiac disease, fatty liver disease
Once called Columbia Digestive Health Research. Now it is part of the Objective Health network. Specifically, it runs gut and liver studies, including fatty liver trials.
Columbia Gastroenterology Associates
Columbia / Active studies
Digestive conditions
A long-running gut health practice. Also, it takes part in digestive trials around Columbia.
What to Expect in a Psoriasis 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.
Psoriasis Trial FAQs
Real answers about psoriasis studies near Columbia SC.
Is there a study for this near Columbia?
Yes, one is open, at a skin research practice on the Irmo side, about 20 minutes from downtown. It adds a weekly weight loss shot on top of the skin biologic you already take, and there is no dummy in it. Notably, it requires you to stay on that biologic rather than come off it, which is rare. However, the window is narrow, because you must have started the biologic about 3 months ago.
What are PASI and body surface area?
They are the two numbers every study gates on, so it is worth knowing yours. PASI runs from 0 to 72 and combines redness, thickness and scale with how much of you is covered, and most studies want 12 or more. Body surface area is worked out with your own palm and fingers counting as about 1 percent, and studies usually want 10 percent.
Why do people fail screening so often?
Because the numbers are measured on the day, and psoriasis moves. Being turned away because your PASI came in at 11.4 rather than 12 happens all the time, and it is maddening. So ask your skin doctor for those numbers in writing before you invest time in screening. Also, tell the site what your score was at its worst, because that helps them judge whether booking you is worth it.
Is my kind of psoriasis the same as everyone’s?
Probably, but not certainly, and it decides everything here. Plaque psoriasis is the common form, at about 8 or 9 in every 10 cases, and every study here is a plaque study. The pustular form is a different and much rarer disease that happens to share the name, and it can be an emergency. However, no study for that form, or for guttate, scalp only or palm and sole disease, is open in either city.
Is there anything new?
Yes, and March 2026 was the big one. The first targeted pill that blocks the IL-23 receptor was approved on 18 March 2026, for adults and children of 12 and over. Until then, that level of clearance meant injections, and choosing a pill meant accepting less. Meanwhile, in its studies about 70 percent reached clear or almost clear skin by week 16.
Why is only one study open here?
Because the approved drugs got very good, and that is good news wearing bad news clothing. When a skin doctor can simply clear you with an approved drug, there is little reason to run a dummy controlled study locally. So the one study open in each of these cities is the same study, asking a question the approvals never answered. In fact, for most readers the better move is asking which approved drug suits them.
Will I have to come off my biologic?
No, and this study is unusual that way, because it does the opposite. Being on a biologic is a requirement rather than a barrier, and you stay on it throughout. The catch is elsewhere. You must have started it about 3 months ago, give or take one month. Also, any past weight loss injection of the GLP-1 family rules you out entirely.
Does psoriasis affect anything besides skin?
Yes, and this is worth raising with your own doctor. About one in three people with psoriasis develop joint disease, and unlike skin, damaged joints do not recover. So if you have morning stiffness, a swollen finger or toe, or heel pain, say so rather than waiting. Also, psoriasis travels with heart and metabolic problems, which is part of why the study here treats weight at the same time.
Does it cost anything to be on the list?
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, being on the list never enrolls anyone in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.
Where can I get skin care near Columbia SC?
Prisma Health and Lexington Medical Center both run skin services across the Midlands. Also, ask for a skin doctor rather than general care, because the approved drugs need a specialist to prescribe. Generally, your own doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, if nobody has told you your PASI and body surface area, ask for both at your next visit.
Ready to Explore a Study?
Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Columbia team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.
← Back to All Clinical TrialsSources
- TOGETHER AMPLIFY-PsO, tirzepatide added to ixekizumab in plaque psoriasis, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06857942
- Deucravacitinib comparison study, excluded because its Hickory NC site is listed as completed, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07116967
- Johnson and Johnson: FDA approval of icotrokinra for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, 18 March 2026
- National Psoriasis Foundation: about psoriasis, severity scoring and treat to target goals
Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 16, 2026. Two further studies were excluded because their Hickory NC sites are listed as completed while the trial headers read recruiting. Every study here is for plaque psoriasis; no study for pustular, guttate, scalp only or palm and sole psoriasis is recruiting in either metro. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.