What the trial was testing
The SYMPATICO enrolled 366 patients with mantle cell lymphoma. The study was sponsored by Pharmacyclics LLC and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
31.9 vs. 22.1 months — how long the cancer stayed under control on the combination vs. ibrutinib alone.
The Lancet Oncology · 2025 · NCT03112174
These findings — that median time before relapsed mantle cell lymphoma progressed on ibrutinib + venetoclax vs. ibrutinib alone — were published in the The Lancet Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 366 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with mantle cell lymphoma, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Both ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and venetoclax (Venclexta) are FDA-approved for B-cell cancers individually, and the combination is becoming an option in trials and care for relapsed mantle cell lymphoma. SYMPATICO shows that doubling up on targeted oral pills meaningfully extends time before the cancer regrows after first-line therapy. Ask your oncologist whether you'd be a candidate.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open mantle cell lymphoma trials
Testing the Anti-cancer Drug, Glofitamab, in Patients With Mantle Cell Lymphoma (A Type of Blood Cancer) Whose Disease Returned After CAR-T Cell Therapy
This phase II trial tests the safety and side effects of glofitamab and obinutuzumab and how well they work in treating patients with mantle cell lymphoma that has come back after a period of improvement (relapsed) or that has not responded to previous treatment (refractory) after receiving CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. CAR T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy where the immune system cell, T-cell, is changed to attack cancer cells. Glofitamab is a bispecific antibody that can bind to two different antigens at the same time. Glofitamab binds to CD3, a protein found on T cells (a type of white blood cell), and CD20 a protein found on B cells (another type of white blood cell) and some lymphoma cells. This may help the immune system kill cancer cells. Obinutuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. A monoclonal antibody is a type of protein that can bind to certain targets in the body, such as molecules that cause the body to make an immune response (antigens). Giving glofitamab and obinutuzumab may be safe, tolerable, and/or effective in treating patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma after receiving CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy.
BAFFR-targeting CAR T Cells for Patients With Relapsed or Refractory B-NHL
A Phase 1 Study Evaluating BAFFR-targeting CAR T Cells for Patients with Relapsed or Refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (B-NHL)