A major UK-wide clinical trial has revealed a new chemotherapy-free treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that could improve patient outcomes. The study, known as the Flair trial, involved 786 patients across 96 cancer centers and was led by researchers at Leeds.
The trial tested whether two targeted drugs, ibrutinib and venetoclax, could work better than standard chemotherapy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either chemotherapy, ibrutinib alone, or the combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax. Treatment was personalized based on blood tests.
After five years, 94% of patients receiving both drugs were alive without disease progression, compared to 79% on ibrutinib alone and 58% on chemotherapy. Additionally, 66% of the combination group had no detectable cancer in their bone marrow after two years, a result not seen in the other groups.
Ibrutinib blocks signals that help cancer cells grow, while venetoclax targets a protein that helps CLL cells survive. The combined treatment was also easier for patients to tolerate than chemotherapy.
Dr. Talha Munir, who led the study, called the trial a “milestone,” highlighting the move toward personalized, chemotherapy-free care. Cancer Research UK and drug companies AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson funded the trial.
CLL is the most common adult leukemia, affecting about 4,000 people annually in the UK. Patient Catherine Whitfield, who took part in the trial, reported no cancer cells after three years of treatment.
This breakthrough offers hope for kinder, more effective leukemia treatments and could change how blood cancers are managed in the future.
Related topics:
- Deadly Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus Spreads Across U.S.
- Psilocybin Eases Depression in Cancer Patients, Study Finds
- Measles Alert at Dulles Airport After Infected Passenger Detected
