CLL 14.

Headline: Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) no longer need upfront chemo. The phase 3 CLL14 trial enrolled 432 patients with previously untreated CLL receiving the third-generation CD20-antibody obinutuzumab and randomized them to the addition of the nitrogen mustard chlorambucil (est. circa 1950) versus the targeted BCL2-blocker venetoclax (est. circa 2015). At two years, the primary endpoint of progression-free survival was significantly increased from 64 → 88%. TBL: Patients with CLL have a highly-effective upfront chemo-free option with venetoclax + obinutuzumab. | Fischer, N Engl J Med 2019