M3-Emerging Medical Research

EmergeOrtho and Wake Research Associates have combined to form “M3-Emerging Medical Research.” To read more about this new endeavor, view our Press Release here.

Clinical Research Projects

Currently Enrolling Clinical Trials (trials are only available in the Triangle Region)

If you would like to know more about any of our current research programs or clinical trials in the Triangle region, please contact our clinical research department at 919-281-1698 or by email at [email protected].

Ankylosing Spondylitis Study

Help advance Ankylosing Spondylitis research by participating in a research study for individuals suffering from inflammatory arthritis affecting the spine and large joints. Insurance is not needed to participate in this study.

To qualify, you must:
  • Have active Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Not have active fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis
Qualified participants will receive:
  • Study-related medication at no cost
  • Study-related medical exams at no cost
  • Compensation for time and travel
Sign up today!
Flu Vaccine Study

Consider a research study assessing the safety and effectiveness of an investigational vaccine for influenza (flu). Sign up to volunteer!

To qualify, you must:
  • Be 65 to 85 years old
Qualified participants will receive:
  • Study-related vaccine at no cost
  • Study-related medical exams at no cost
  • Compensation for time and travel
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Study

Emerging Medical Research is enrolling volunteers, over the age of 65, in a research study testing the safety and effectiveness of an investigational vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Insurance is not needed to participate in this study. Please fill out our form to volunteer.

Qualified participants will recieve:

  • Study-related medication at no cost
  • Study-related medical exams at no cost
  • Compensation for time and travel
COVID-19 Studies

If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine yet and want to consider research, sign-up here to receive more information.

Dr. David Musante was recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine on the Efficacy and Safety of NVX-CoV2373 in Adults in the United States and Mexico. NVX-CoV2373 (Novavax), a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine made up of full-length, stabilized, prefusion, recombinant spike protein trimers produced from the Wuhan-Hu-1 sequence. The vaccine may help to address the continually evolving Covid-19 pandemic and the concurrent global vaccine shortage. In conclusion, NVX-CoV2373 was safe and effective for the prevention of Covid-19. Most breakthrough cases were caused by contemporary variant strains.

Osteoarthritis of the Knee Studies

Living with knee pain? Learn more about a clinical research study for osteoarthritis of the knee. Insurance is not needed to participate in this study. Click here to learn more.

Rheumatoid Arthritis STUDIES

FATIGUE AND JOINT STIFFNESS?

Learn more about a clinical research study for rheumatoid arthritis. Insurance is not needed to participate in this study. Click here to learn more.

Centinel Spine STUDIES

Emerging Medical Research, Drs. David Musante and Matthew Hannibal, are participating in a nationwide clinical trial investigating the treatment of Two-Level Symptomatic Cervical Disc Disease (SCDD). The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of prodisc® C SK and prodisc® C Vivo compared to Mobi-C®.

If you are between 18 and 69 years of age, suffering from neck and arm pain due to cervical disc disease or think you might be, and have not responded to non-operative, conservative treatment, please fill out our form to volunteer or for more information about this study, visit ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT04012996) at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04012996.

To join a clinical trial, fill out this form or click here to view a list of current clinical trials available.

What is Clinical Research?

The physicians and research staff at Emerging Medical Research have many years of experience performing research from advanced devices for spine surgery to the latest biotech pharmaceuticals. Currently, our clinical research and trials are only available in the Triangle region. We assist local universities as well as national networks of researchers in learning more about the causes of different forms of arthritis. We have participated in clinical trials of most of the rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis medications that have become available over the past 20 years including Enbrel, Humira, Orencia, Rituxan, Kineret, Actemra, Xelganz, Cosentyx, and Cimzia as well as the major anti-inflammatory medications. In addition to rheumatoid arthritis, our studies have included research on gout, pain, osteoarthritis, and various types of back and neck arthritis and disc disease. At Emerging Medical Research, we believe the availability of clinical research is a major resource for our patients allowing them access to cutting edge therapies when established medications and procedures are not satisfactory. Our participation also keeps us at the forefront of the newest advances. Please check our site often or contact us if you are interested in possible participation in a clinical trial. We are frequently starting new research projects.

Clinical Trials FAQ

Since 2018, EmergeOrtho has partnered with Wake Research as Emerging Medical Research to bring patients access to the latest in orthopedic research and clinical trials.

Many patients who have never participated in clinical research may have questions about how clinical research and clinical trials work. Here are the most frequently asked questions about clinical trials:

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are the most important part of all medical advancements and research. They are designed to test and study the safety and effectiveness of investigational medications and treatments. Clinical trials study different things – some trials look at new treatments for chronic diseases and conditions (like a medical device or a drug), while some trials test ways to diagnose diseases early or possibly prevent them.

Why are clinical trials important?

Clinical trials are an essential part of making sure the drugs and medical treatments we all use are safe and effective. They are also extremely important in finding new and better treatments and in helping make life more comfortable for people with chronic diseases.

“Before your doctor can write you a prescription and your treatments are available at your pharmacy, every drug must go through clinical trials to demonstrate it is safe and effective, compared to a placebo or to existing therapies,” Dr. Marieke Cajal-Berman, director of patient engagement for Wake Research, said.

“Clinical trials are conducted to measure how well a medication or therapy performs when used to treat a certain condition,” she said. They could be testing a drug for a condition that currently does not have any available treatment, or testing a drug that might work better than currently available treatments or have less side effects.”

Who can participate in clinical trials?

People who have a disease or other chronic medical condition can participate in clinical trials, as well as healthy individuals looking to help contribute to research.

People participate in clinical trials for different reasons. Some people participate to try a new treatment when existing therapies haven’t worked, or if there is no existing treatment for their condition. Other people who are healthy might participate to help advance research of diseases they may have in their genetics or just be a part of discovering new treatments.

“Some volunteers participate to better understand their conditions through the tests offered at no cost as part of the trial, to try new treatments when they cannot tolerate or afford current ones, or to help advance research for other patients with the same condition and future patients,” Dr. Cajal-Berman said.

Should you participate in a clinical trial?

Clinical trials could not exist without volunteers, and there are many benefits to participating in a clinical trial. Participants in clinical trials play an active role in their own health care; they gain access to cutting-edge research treatments before they are available to the general public, and by participating they help contribute to the development of new and important treatments.

“Progress in medicine cannot happen without the help and participation of our volunteers,” Dr. Cajal-Berman said. “Patients are also compensated for their time and travel and accompanied by a doctor through the whole process.

But before participating in a clinical trial, you will need to qualify. There are often specific criteria for meeting the qualifications of a clinical trial. If you decide to apply to a clinical trial, you will be asked a series of questions in a pre-screening interview. Sometimes, a second screening will take place to make sure you meet the qualifications for the trial. If you do, then you will be able to be a part of the trial.

What is the current work being done in clinical trials?

There is a lot of very important research currently being done in clinical trials. Some of the conditions and treatments being studied are:

  • Drug treatments and genetic biomarker studies for long term diseases
  • Vaccinations and drugs for COVID-19
  • Immunotherapy treatment for cancer and other diseases

Orthopedic conditions currently being studied are:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Psoriasis
  • Gout

Every single drug and treatment used in healthcare today was first tested through a clinical trial. Clinical trials help ensure drugs and treatments are safe, effective, and can better the lives of individuals who are suffering from diseases now and in the future.

To view the currently enrolling studies at Emerging Medical Research and Wake Research, visit https://www.wakeclinical.com/studies/.

Meet Our Clinical Research Staff

Frank Garcia
Regional Director – M3 Wake Research Eastern States
[email protected]

Shandelle Parker
Site Director – M3 Emerging Medical Research Durham, Emerging Medical Research Raleigh, and Seaside Clinical Research Institute
[email protected]
Phone: 919-475-9295

David Musante, MD, FAAOS
Medical Director Emerging Medical Research
Orthopedics