What the trial was testing
The CRISTALLO enrolled 166 patients with leukemia. The study was sponsored by Hoffmann-La Roche 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
81% of patients on venetoclax-obinutuzumab had no detectable cancer in their blood compared to 55% on chemotherapy.
Blood · 2026 · NCT04285567
These findings — that had no detectable cancer in their blood after treatment — were published in the Blood and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 166 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 leukemia, 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
Venetoclax-obinutuzumab is FDA-approved for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and offers a chemotherapy-free option with high response rates. This trial confirms that it works better than older chemotherapy combinations at clearing cancer from the blood. Talk to your cancer specialist about whether this treatment is right for you.
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 leukemia trials
Time-limited Triplet Combination of Pirtobrutinib, Venetoclax, and Obinutuzumab for Patients With Treatment-naïve Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) or Richter Transformation (RT)
To learn if the combination of pirtobrutinib (also called LOXO-305), venetoclax, and obinutuzumab is safe and effective when given to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or Richter transformation (RT) who have not previously received treatment.
Design and Validation of a Generative AI and Propensity Score Matching Model for the VEN-DEC Phase II Study in Elderly AML Eligible for Allo-SCT; Evaluation of an Exploratory Approach Respect to a Randomized Phase III Trial
To better delineate the contribution of VEN-DEC to the treatment of AML patients aged between ≥ 60 and \< 75 years and deemed fit for Allo-HSCT, real-world data on a patient-level basis will be collected and utilized to generate a matched control cohort of same AML patients treated with intensive chemotherapy. In addittion, to further validate the efficacy of the VEN-DEC treatment approach in elderly AML patients, an advanced generative AI model will be constructed and trained using the historical cohort data. The AI model aims to simulate outcomes based on the standard