Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a slow-growing blood cancer affecting white blood cells called lymphocytes. It's the most common leukemia in adults, typically diagnosed after age 60. Many people live for years without needing treatment, while others start therapy when the disease becomes active or causes symptoms.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing BTK inhibitors like acalabrutinib and zanubrutinib, BCL-2 inhibitors like venetoclax, and combinations that may let people stop treatment after a fixed period. Newer approaches include CAR-T cell therapy for relapsed disease, bispecific antibodies that redirect immune cells to attack leukemia, and drugs targeting minimal residual disease.
Fixed-duration treatment
Studies are combining venetoclax with other drugs to achieve deep remissions that let people stop therapy after one or two years. This contrasts with older approaches requiring indefinite treatment.
Bispecific antibodies
These engineered proteins link T cells directly to leukemia cells, causing the immune system to attack the cancer. Several are now in trials for people whose disease has returned after other treatments.
Minimal residual disease
Researchers are testing whether ultra-sensitive tests showing no detectable leukemia cells can guide when to stop or restart treatment. This may help avoid unnecessary therapy while catching early relapse.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on whether you've had prior CLL treatment, specific genetic mutations like del(17p) or TP53, and whether the disease is currently active or causing symptoms.
What types of trials are currently open
- First-line treatment trials — Testing newer drug combinations for people who haven't yet received CLL treatment, comparing them to current standard options.
- Relapsed disease trials — Studies of CAR-T therapy, bispecific antibodies, and novel drug combinations for CLL that has returned after prior treatment.
- Fixed-duration trials — Testing whether people can safely stop treatment after achieving deep remission, rather than continuing indefinitely.
- Maintenance trials — Studying whether continuing treatment at lower doses or with different drugs prevents relapse after initial therapy.
- Observational studies — Following people with CLL over time to understand disease progression, treatment patterns, and quality of life with newer therapies.
Recently added Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia trials
Track your long-term health outcomes after blood cancer treatment
This study is focused on tracking the long-term health of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) treated with a combination of two drugs, ibrutinib and venetoclax, as part of the original CAPTIVATE clinical trial. Purpose and Goals While new treatments have significantly improved survival for patients with CLL, the disease remains incurable and often requires multiple rounds of treatment over a person's life. The primary goal of this study is to understand what happens to patients after they have completed their initial (frontline) treatment with a combination of two drugs, ibrutinib and venetoclax, as part of the original CAPTIVATE clinical trial. Researchers specifically want to: * Identify the types and frequency of "second-line" treatments patients receive if their disease returns. * Assess the long-term safety and effectiveness of the initial ibrutinib and venetoclax treatment. * Study how the disease might become resistant to these treatments over time. Who Can Participate? The study is specifically for individuals who were previously enrolled in the original CAPTIVATE study. Only patients at participating medical centers who provide their informed consent can join. Study Methods and Procedures This is an observational study, meaning researchers will monitor patients' health during their routine medical care rather than testing a new, experimental treatment. Key aspects of the study include: * Long-Term Monitoring: Patients will be followed for up to 10 years. * Data Collection: Researchers will collect information on disease status, treatment history, new health issues (comorbidities), and survival. * Optional Testing: With additional consent, patients may provide blood samples every six months to check for "measurable residual disease" (MRD)-very small amounts of cancer cells that remain after treatment. * Genetic Analysis: If a patient's CLL progresses, researchers may analyze blood samples to look for specific genetic mutations that might explain why the treatment stopped working. Participation is entirely voluntary, and patients can choose to withdraw from the study or opt out of specific tests (like blood sampling) at any time without affecting their standard medical care.
Receive antifungal medication to prevent serious infections during cancer treatment
This is a single-center, single-arm, observational clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of low-dose liposomal amphotericin B (50 mg/day, intravenous, once daily) for the prevention of invasive fungal infections in adult patients (aged 18-75 years) with hematological malignancies who develop prolonged neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count ≤0.5×10\^9/L, expected to last \>7 days) and are at high risk for invasive fungal disease. Participants are those who, per the treating physician's routine clinical decision, have been initiated on liposomal amphotericin B prophylaxis at 50 mg/day due to intolerance or toxicity to other antifungal agents. The primary outcome is the incidence of proven or probable invasive fungal disease. Secondary outcomes include incidence of pneumonia, persistent unexplained fever \>4 days, use of additional systemic antifungal therapy, and adverse events. A total of 30 participants will be enrolled. Data will be collected at baseline, during treatment, and within 7 days after treatment completion.
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