CLL Global Research Foundation

10/05/2026

Exciting news for the CLL community!

The FDA has approved pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca) as a first-line treatment for adults with previously untreated CLL/SLL without a known 17p deletion.

The approval is based on the Phase 3 BRUIN CLL-313 trial, in which pirtobrutinib significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death compared with bendamustine plus rituximab. After approximately 28 months of follow-up, median progression-free survival had not yet been reached with pirtobrutinib, compared with 33.5 months with chemoimmunotherapy.

This approval brings a non-covalent BTK inhibitor into the frontline setting for the first time, providing another targeted, chemotherapy-free treatment option for people with CLL/SLL.

The FDA has approved pirtobrutinib for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated CLL or SLL harboring no known 17p deletion.

09/28/2026

As more options become available what does the future of CLL treatment look like?

In this CancerNetwork interview, Dr. Julie Vose discusses the growing interest in fixed-duration therapies that give patients time off treatment, reducing side effects, cost, and treatment burden. She also discusses how measurable residual disease (MRD) testing may help guide treatment decisions as more evidence becomes available.

Longer follow-up and additional research are still needed, but the goal of effective treatment that is personalized and less burdensome for for patients is becoming clear.

Read the interview:

"Patients [with cancer] and physicians would rather have a fixed-duration treatment, if possible," said Julie M. Vose, MD, MBA, at SOHO 2026.

09/17/2026

How well a CLL treatment works is about more than laboratory results or the length of a remission, It's also about how patients feel throughout treatment.

In this interview from the International Workshop on CLL (iwCLL), Dr. Stefano Molica emphasizes the importance of including patient-reported outcomes in CLL clinical trials. Measures such as quality of life, symptoms, side effects, convenience, and treatment burden provide important insight into the patient experience, particularly as treatment options expand to include both continuous and time-limited therapies.

By listening directly to patients, researchers can better understand the full impact of treatment and help ensure that future advances improve both the length and quality of patients’ lives.

Learn more:

In this video, Stefano Molica, MD, Hull-York Medical School (HYMS), Hull, United Kingdom, comments on the need to redefine clinical...

09/17/2026

Encouraging new results for bexobrutideg (NX-5948), an investigational treatment that takes a different approach to targeting BTK in CLL/SLL.

Rather than simply blocking BTK, bexobrutideg is designed to break down and remove the BTK protein, including mutated forms that can contribute to treatment resistance.

In updated early-phase trial results, 83% of heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL responded to treatment, with a median progression-free survival of 22.1 months. Response rates were also high in other patient groups, including 93% among those previously treated with a BTK inhibitor but not a BCL2 inhibitor.

While these are early results, they are encouraging, especially as researchers look for new options for patients whose CLL has become resistant to existing therapies. Larger studies are ongoing.

Bexobrutideg produced responses across lines of therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma.

09/14/2026

Encouraging phase 2 results from CLL Global-funded investigator Dr. Nitin Jain and colleagues show that a time-limited combination of pirtobrutinib, venetoclax, and obinutuzumab produced deep remissions in patients with previously untreated CLL.

After 13 treatment cycles, 74% of patients had no measurable residual disease detected in the bone marrow using an extremely sensitive test. At two years, nearly 99% were alive without disease progression.

Although longer follow-up and larger studies are needed these findings support continued research into powerful, time-limited treatment combinations for CLL.

Pirtobrutinib, venetoclax, and obinutuzumab produced high U-MRD6 rates and 98.6% 2-year PFS in untreated CLL.

09/11/2026

Wishing all who celebrate a sweet and joyful Rosh Hashanah. May the new year bring you and your loved ones peace, good health, happiness, and hope. Shana Tova!

09/11/2026

A new phase 2 clinical trial led by Dr. Nitin Jain at UT MD Anderson will explore a new treatment combination for patients with previously untreated CLL.

The study combines catadegbrutinib, an investigational drug designed to eliminate the BTK protein in CLL cells, with sonrotoclax, an investigational BCL-2 inhibitor intended to promote CLL-cell death.

Researchers will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the combination, including how deeply and quickly it reduces measurable residual disease (MRD). The trial represents another promising effort to develop more effective, time-limited treatment approaches for patients living with CLL.

Learn more:

09/04/2026

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time to raise awareness not only about advances in CLL treatment, but also about the importance of supporting patients throughout every stage of their journey.

In this interview, Dr. Kerry Rogers discusses why supportive care remains essential during active treatment, watch and wait, remission, and the time between treatments. Infection prevention, vaccinations, recommended cancer screenings, and emotional well-being can all help people with CLL protect their health and quality of life.

Read the full interview:

In an interview with Blood Cancers Today, Kerry Rogers, MD, of The Ohio State University, discussed how clinicians can integrate supportive care across the different phases of CLL.

08/19/2026

Exciting news in cancer research!

Moderna and Merck announced today that their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, combined with the immunotherapy Keytruda, significantly reduced the risk of melanoma returning or spreading compared with Keytruda alone in a large Phase 3 clinical trial. Detailed results are still to come, but the study met both its primary and key secondary endpoints.

For the vaccine, scientists sequence a patient's tumor to identify mutations unique to their cancer. An individualized mRNA vaccine is then created to teach the immune system to recognize and attack cells carrying those mutations. Keytruda helps by releasing an immune-system "brake," allowing immune cells to better target the cancer.

People with CLL have an increased risk of developing second cancers, including melanoma and other skin cancers. While this vaccine is not currently a treatment for CLL or specifically for second cancers in CLL patients, the Phase 3 results provide important evidence that personalized mRNA technology can successfully help the immune system fight cancer.

As people with CLL live longer, preventing and successfully treating second cancers is an increasingly important part of long-term care. We’ll be watching closely as this promising technology continues to advance.

Intismeran autogene plus pembrolizumab improved recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis–free survival in resected stage IIB to IV melanoma.

08/04/2026

This wonderful article by Jackie Broadway-Duren details how nurse Sarah Velasquez's expertise, thoroughness, and patient advocacy make her an essential member of her patients' care team.

"Velasquez has demonstrated the ability to combine her knowledge and experience with a true sense of patient care and responsiveness that has made a positive difference in helping me through two years of treatment." — Robert Coriale, patient

To all the nurses, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, patient navigators, social workers, research coordinators, and others who care for people with CLL, thank you for making such a meaningful difference every day.

Sarah Velasquez, BSN, RN, OCN, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, goes above and beyond for her chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients through thorough communication and proactive advocacy.