Testing the Addition of a New Anti-cancer Drug, Venetoclax, to the Usual Treatment (Ibrutinib and Obinutuzumab) in Untreated, Older Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Running, not enrolling · Phase 3

Conditions studied: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma

In brief

This phase III trial compares adding a new anti-cancer drug (venetoclax) to the usual treatment (ibrutinib plus obinutuzumab) in older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who have not received previous treatment. The addition of venetoclax to the usual treatment might prevent chronic lymphocytic leukemia from returning. This trial also will investigate whether patients who receive ibrutinib plus obinutuzumab plus venetoclax and have no detectable chronic lymphocytic leukemia after 1 year of treatment, can stop taking ibrutinib. Ibrutinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Immunotherapy with obinutuzumab may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Venetoclax is in a class of medications called B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitors. It may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking Bcl-2, a protein needed for cancer cell survival. Giving ibrutinib and obinutuzumab with venetoclax may work better at treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia compared to ibrutinib and obinutuzumab.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03737981

Run by

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

People needed

465

Starts

2019-01-31

Expected to finish

2026-12-29

Last updated by the study team

2026-08-04

Who can join

Age: 65 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• PRE-REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA (STEP 0)
• Patients must have been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (> 5000 B-cells per uL of peripheral blood at any point during the course of their disease) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) with < 5000 B-cells per uL of blood but with disease-associated lymphadenopathy
• This blood submission is mandatory prior to registration/randomization to perform fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) centrally that will be used for stratification. It should be obtained as soon after pre-registration as possible
• REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA (STEP 1)
• Patients must be diagnosed with CLL or SLL in accordance with 2018 International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (IWCLL) criteria that includes all of the following:
• >= 5 x10\^9 B lymphocytes (5000/uL) in the peripheral blood measured by flow cytometry at any point in the course of the disease or less peripheral blood involvement but disease-associated lymphadenopathy
• On local morphologic review, the leukemic cells must be small mature lymphocytes, and prolymphocytes must not exceed 55% of the blood lymphocytes
• Neoplastic cells on immunophenotype (performed locally) must reveal a clonal B-cell population, which express the B cell surface markers of CD19 and CD20, as well as the T-cell antigen CD5. Patients with bright surface immunoglobulin expression or lack of CD23 expression in >10% of cells must lack t(11;14) translocation by interphase cytogenetics
• Patients must be intermediate or high-risk Rai stage CLL or SLL
• Intermediate risk (formerly stage I/II) is defined by lymphadenopathy and/or hepatomegaly or splenomegaly without anemia or thrombocytopenia
• High risk (formerly stage III/IV) is defined by splenomegaly and/or anemia (hemoglobin < 11g/dL) not attributable to autoimmune hemolytic anemia and/or thrombocytopenia (platelets [plt] < 100 x10\^9/L) not attributable to autoimmune thrombocytopenia
• Patients must meet criteria for treatment as defined by 2018 IWCLL guidelines which includes at least one of the following criteria:
• Evidence of marrow failure as manifested by the development or worsening of anemia or thrombocytopenia (not attributable to autoimmune hemolytic anemia or thrombocytopenia)
• Massive (>= 6 cm below the costal margin), progressive or symptomatic splenomegaly
• Massive nodes (>= 10 cm) or progressive or symptomatic lymphadenopathy
• Progressive lymphocytosis with a lymphocyte doubling time < 6 months or an increase of >= 50% over a 2 month period
• Autoimmune anemia and/or thrombocytopenia that is poorly responsive to standard therapy
• Symptomatic or functional extranodal involvement (e.g. skin, kidney, lung, spine)
• Constitutional symptoms, which include any of the following:
• Unintentional weight loss of 10% or more within 6 months
• Significant fatigue
• Fevers > 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit (F) for 2 weeks or more without evidence of infection
• Night sweats >= 1 month without evidence of infection
• Treatment with rituximab and/or high dose corticosteroids for autoimmune complications of CLL/SLL must be complete at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment. Palliative steroids must be at a dose not higher than 20 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent corticosteroid at the time of registration
• Age >= 65 years

You may not qualify if…

• Patients must not have had prior therapy for CLL/SLL (except palliative steroids or treatment of autoimmune complications of CLL with rituximab or steroids)
• Patients must not have any history of Richter's transformation or prolymphocytic leukemia (prolymphocytes in blood > 55%)
• Patients with class III or class IV heart failure by New York Heart Association, those with unstable angina, and those with uncontrolled arrhythmia are not eligible
• Patients who have had a myocardial infarction, intracranial bleed, or stroke within the past 6 months are not eligible
• Patients must not be receiving active systemic anticoagulation with heparin or warfarin. Patients on warfarin must discontinue the drug for at least 10 days prior to registration on the study
• Chronic concomitant treatment with strong inhibitors of CYP3A4/5 is not allowed on this study. Patients on strong CYP3A inhibitors must discontinue the drug for 14 days prior to registration on the study
• Chronic concomitant treatment with strong CYP3A4/5 inducers is not allowed. Patients must discontinue the drug 14 days prior to registration on the study
• Patients must not require more than 20 mg prednisone or equivalent corticosteroid daily
• Patients must not have uncontrolled active systemic infection requiring intravenous antibiotics
• Patients must not have a known allergy to mannitol
• Patients must not have prior significant hypersensitivity to rituximab (not including infusion reactions)
• Patients may not have had major surgery within 10 days prior to registration, or minor surgery within 7 days prior to registration. Examples of minor surgery include dental surgery, insertion of a venous access device, skin biopsy, or aspiration for a joint. The decision about whether a surgery is major or minor can be made at the discretion of the treating physician

Where it is running

• Anchorage Associates in Radiation Medicine — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Anchorage Radiation Therapy Center — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Alaska Breast Care and Surgery LLC — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Alaska Oncology and Hematology LLC — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Alaska Women's Cancer Care — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Anchorage Oncology Centre — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Katmai Oncology Group — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Providence Alaska Medical Center — Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Fairbanks Memorial Hospital — Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
• Kingman Regional Medical Center — Kingman, Arizona, United States
• Cancer Center at Saint Joseph's — Phoenix, Arizona, United States
• Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona — Phoenix, Arizona, United States
• Mayo Clinic in Arizona — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
• University of Arizona Cancer Center-Orange Grove Campus — Tucson, Arizona, United States
• Banner University Medical Center - Tucson — Tucson, Arizona, United States
• University of Arizona Cancer Center-North Campus — Tucson, Arizona, United States
• Mercy Hospital Fort Smith — Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States
• CHI Saint Vincent Cancer Center Hot Springs — Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
• John L McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital — Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
• Kaiser Permanente-Anaheim — Anaheim, California, United States
• Mission Hope Medical Oncology - Arroyo Grande — Arroyo Grande, California, United States
• PCR Oncology — Arroyo Grande, California, United States
• Kaiser Permanente-Baldwin Park — Baldwin Park, California, United States
• Kaiser Permanente-Bellflower — Bellflower, California, United States
• University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center — Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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