The CLL11 trial (NCT01998880) compared chlorambucil monotherapy with combination therapies of chlorambucil and anti-CD20 antibodies rituximab or obinutuzumab for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities. Michael Hallek, PhD, of CECAD Cologne, Cologne, Germany, presented the final follow-up results from this trial at the 23rd Congress of the European Haematology Association (EHA) 2018, held in Stockholm, Sweden. These results showed a surprising improvement in overall survival with obinutuzumab/chlorambucil compared to rituximab/chlorambucil, suggesting that obinutuzumab confers a survival benefit even in high-risk patients with multiple comorbidities. Prof. Hallek points to obinutuzumab as the new standard of care for unfit elderly CLL patients.
Obinutuzumab increases survival in CLL patients with comorbidities
