New treatment method for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

A recent study involving MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna has identified a significant advance in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The results of the randomised Phase III CLL13 (GAIA) study show that a time-limited and targeted therapy with venetoclax and obinutuzumab is more effective than chemoimmunotherapy in patients without comorbidities. The findings have the potential to revolutionize the standard of care for CLL patients and offer them a better quality of life. The study was published in the prestigious journal The New England Journal of Medicine. In the independent study, many of the 926 CLL patients in Austria were able to participate and benefit from the results under the coordination of Philipp Staber from the Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology at the Department of Medicine I at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna. In Austria, patients were included at Hanusch Hospital Vienna in addition to the University Hospital Vienna. Philipp Staber, a member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna of MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna, emphasizes the clear advantage of the combination therapy consisting of the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax and the anti-CD20 antibody obinutuzumab.