Are clinical trials in Charleston safe?

Every trial on this page is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, the official NIH registry, and is overseen by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Before joining you receive an informed consent document detailing procedures, risks and compensation. Participation is voluntary and you can withdraw at any time.

How do I join a study in Charleston, SC?

Pick a study that matches your profile, contact the research site (or apply through the study links on this page), pass a phone pre-screen, then attend an in-person screening visit. If you qualify, you review and sign the informed consent and the study begins. The process typically takes 1-3 weeks.

Is compensation for clinical trials taxable?

In the U.S., clinical trial compensation is generally considered taxable income, and research sites may issue a 1099 form for payments above $600 in a year. Reimbursements for travel or meals are typically treated differently. Consult a tax professional for your situation.

What is the difference between a research center and a hospital study in Charleston?

Dedicated research centers (listed on this page with their Google ratings) run studies as their core business — often healthy-volunteer and vaccine studies with structured compensation. Hospital and university studies tend to focus on patients with specific conditions. Both types are registered and IRB-supervised.

Can I be in more than one clinical trial at a time?

Generally no — most studies exclude participants currently enrolled in another trial, and paid Phase 1 studies enforce a washout period (often 30 days or more) between studies. Frequent healthy volunteers in Charleston typically complete one or two studies per year.

Paid Clinical Trials Charleston, SC — 734 Studies Recruiting (Jul 2026)

Switch or Quit R01

Cigarette Smoking, Smoking Behaviors N/A Interventional 225 participants sought

Medical Univeristy of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06373679)

Escitalopram and Language Intervention for Subacute Aphasia

Aphasia, Stroke Phase 2 Interventional 88 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03843463)

Fibromyalgia Response With Esreboxetine Evaluated Using a Randomized Withdrawal Research Design

Fibromyalgia Phase 3 Interventional 620 participants sought

Clinical Research Site — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07398417)

Prediction Augmented Screening Initiative

Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Screening N/A Interventional 23,520 participants sought

Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06538636)

Social Functioning in Opioid Use Disorder

Opioid Use Disorder N/A Interventional 230 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07044466)

Zenith® Fenestrated+ Clinical Study

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal, Juxtarenal Aortic Aneurysm N/A Interventional 105 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Cook Research Incorporated

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04875429)

A Study of Dotinurad Versus Allopurinol in Participants With Gout

Gout Phase 3 Interventional 500 participants sought

Coastal Carolina Research Center - Main — North Charleston, South Carolina (2.6 mi) · Sponsor: Crystalys Therapeutics

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07089875)

A Study of Modified Release RTN-001 In Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension

Uncontrolled Hypertension Phase 2 Interventional 280 participants sought

Retension Clinical Site — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Retension Pharmaceuticals. Inc.

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07142356)

A Clinical Trial of Adaptive Treatment for Early Smoking Cessation Relapse

Cigarette Smoking, Smoking Behaviors N/A Interventional 544 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06118502)

A Research Study Investigating How Well the Medicine NNC0487-0111 Helps People With Excess Body Weight and Knee Osteoarthritis Lose Weight and Reduce Pain

Obesity, Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) Phase 3 Interventional 400 participants sought

Coastal Carolina Res Ctr — North Charleston, South Carolina (2.6 mi) · Sponsor: Novo Nordisk A/S

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07481630)

Integration of Cognitive Processing Therapy and Relapse Prevention for Alcohol Use Disorder and PTSD

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder Phase 2 Interventional 200 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Texas A&M University

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05959434)

ENdoluminal LIGHT ActivatED Treatment of Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (ENLIGHTED) Study

Transitional Cell Cancer of Renal Pelvis and Ureter Phase 3 Interventional 100 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Steba Biotech S.A.

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04620239)

Testing What Happens When an Immunotherapy Drug (Pembrolizumab) is Given by Itself Compared to the Usual Treatment of Chemotherapy With Radiation After Surgery for Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Recurrent Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Phase 2 Interventional 188 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04671667)

cfDNA Assay Prospective Observational Validation for Early Cancer Detection and Minimal Residual Disease

Brain Cancer, Breast Cancer N/A Observational 7,000 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Adela, Inc

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05366881)

Dosing rTMS for Depression Post-SCI

Spinal Cord Injuries, Depression N/A Interventional 24 participants sought

Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05553353)

Acoramidis Transthyretin Amyloidosis Prevention Trial in the Young (ACT-EARLY) Study in Asymptomatic Carriers of a Pathogenic TTR Variant

Amyloidosis, Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Phase 3 Interventional 587 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Eidos Therapeutics, a BridgeBio company

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06563895)

A Study Comparing AZD0120, a Dual-targeted CAR-T Against B-cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) and CD19, Versus Standard Regimens in Participants With Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma (DURGA-4)

Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma Phase 3 Interventional 508 participants sought

Research Site — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: AstraZeneca

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07391657)

A Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of BMS-986353 (Zolacabtagene- Autoleucel / Zola-cel), CD19-CAR T Cells, Versus Standard of Care in Participants With Active Systemic Sclerosis

Systemic Sclerosis Phase 3 Interventional 92 participants sought

Local Institution - 0002 — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Juno Therapeutics, Inc., a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07335562)

Ablation-Index Guided Scar-Mediated Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation in Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Ventricular Tachycardia, Ischemic Cardiomyopathy N/A Interventional 100 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Rush University Medical Center

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06138873)

Improving Needs Among Older Adults

Critical Illness, Palliative Care N/A Interventional 350 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Duke University

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06588556)

Efficacy of Fusidic Acid 1% in the Treatment of Bacterial Conjunctivitis

Bacterial Conjunctivitis Phase 3 Interventional 400 participants sought

Baxis Site 12 — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Baxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06911424)

A Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Anifrolumab Administered as Subcutaneous Injection and Added to Standard of Care Compared With Placebo Added to Standard of Care in Adult Participants With Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis)

Polymyositis, Dermatomyositis Phase 3 Interventional 240 participants sought

Research Site — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: AstraZeneca

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06455449)

Impact of Barostimulation on Hemodynamics in Adults With Heart Failure

HFrEF - Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction N/A Interventional 58 participants sought

Medical University of South Carolina Health — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: Columbia University

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07335510)

Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Efzofitimod in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)-Related Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) (SSc-ILD)

Interstitial Lung Disease Phase 2 Interventional 25 participants sought

aTyr Investigative Site — Charleston, South Carolina (3.5 mi) · Sponsor: aTyr Pharma, Inc.

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05892614)

A Study to Investigate Safety and Efficacy of Tapinarof Cream, 1% in Participants Ages 3 Months to < 24 Months With Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic Dermatitis Phase 3 Interventional 180 participants sought

National Allergy and Asthma Research, LLC. — North Charleston, South Carolina (2.6 mi) · Sponsor: Organon and Co

See eligibility & contact on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07265479)

Paid Clinical Trials in Charleston, SC

Studies recruiting near Charleston right now