Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell
Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.
Approval: Brukinsa (EMA)
Use of CAR-Transduced Natural Killer Cells in CD19-Positive Lymphoid Tumors.
Ibrutinib-Rituximab or Chemoimmunotherapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
Grading of cytokine release syndrome associated with the CAR T cell therapy tisagenlecleucel.
What's happening now
An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.
- 5 clinical trials expected to report results, the earliest in Q1 2027.
- Q1 2027Zanubrutinib and Venetoclax as Initial Therapy for CLL With Obinutuzumab Consolidation in Patients With Minimal Residual Disease Positivity (BruVenG)
- Q4 2027An Open-Label, Phase 1/2 Study of JCAR017 in Subjects With Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (017004)
- Q4 2027Multicohort Study to Customize Ibrutinib Treatment Regimens for Patients With Previously Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Q3 2029Phase I/II Trial of Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Immunotherapy for B-cell Leukemias
- Q2 2032A Phase 3, Open-label, Randomized Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Nemtabrutinib (MK-1026) Plus Venetoclax Versus Venetoclax Plus Rituximab in Participants With Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Following at Least 1 Prior Therapy (BELLWAVE-010)
Clinical MilestonesViewHide
- 2026-07-06An Open-Label, Phase 1/2 Study of JCAR017 in Subjects With Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (017004)Results expected Q4 2027
- 2026-07-06Multicohort Study to Customize Ibrutinib Treatment Regimens for Patients With Previously Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic LeukemiaResults expected Q4 2027
- 2026-06-24Phase I/II Trial of Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Immunotherapy for B-cell LeukemiasResults expected Q3 2029
- 2026-05-18A Phase 3, Open-label, Randomized Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Nemtabrutinib (MK-1026) Plus Venetoclax Versus Venetoclax Plus Rituximab in Participants With Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Following at Least 1 Prior Therapy (BELLWAVE-010)Results expected Q2 2032
- 2026-02-25Zanubrutinib and Venetoclax as Initial Therapy for CLL With Obinutuzumab Consolidation in Patients With Minimal Residual Disease Positivity (BruVenG)Results expected Q1 2027
- 2031-10-13ClinicalA Global Phase 3, Randomized, Open-label, Multi-center Trial Designed to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Lisocabtagene Maraleucel vs Investigator's Choice Options (Idelalisib + Rituximab or Bendamustine + Rituximab) in Adult Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL), Whose Disease Has Failed Treatment With Both BTKi and BCL2i Targeted Therapies (A Double Class Exposed Population)Withdrawn
- 2026-07-06ClinicalA Randomized, Open-label, Phase 3 Study of the Combination of Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax Versus Chlorambucil Plus Obinutuzumab for the First-line Treatment of Subjects With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL).Results posted
- 2026-07-06ClinicalAn Open-Label, Phase 1/2 Study of JCAR017 in Subjects With Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (017004)Results expected Q4 2027
- 2026-07-06ClinicalMulticohort Study to Customize Ibrutinib Treatment Regimens for Patients With Previously Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic LeukemiaResults expected Q4 2027
- 2026-06-24ClinicalPhase I/II Trial of Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Immunotherapy for B-cell LeukemiasResults expected Q3 2029
- 2026-05-18ClinicalA Phase 3, Open-label, Randomized Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Nemtabrutinib (MK-1026) Plus Venetoclax Versus Venetoclax Plus Rituximab in Participants With Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Following at Least 1 Prior Therapy (BELLWAVE-010)Results expected Q2 2032
- 2026-02-25ClinicalZanubrutinib and Venetoclax as Initial Therapy for CLL With Obinutuzumab Consolidation in Patients With Minimal Residual Disease Positivity (BruVenG)Results expected Q1 2027
Clinical trials
The current development programme across all trial phases.
Research activity
Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.
Major themes5
- Antigens, CD191
- Immunotherapy1
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive1
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell1
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen1
Leading journals5
- The New England journal of medicine2
- Blood1
- Frontiers in immunology1
- Journal of hematology & oncology1
- Nature medicine1
Leading researchers8
- Ambrose DE1
- Bai X1
- Banerjee P1
- Barr PM1
- Barrientos J1
- Basar R1
- Bedoya F1
- Bitter H1
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies1
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research and Cancer Immunotherapy Program1
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia1
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine1
- From Stanford University1
- Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-care Hospital1
Disease biology
Key proteins & gene products studied in this disease. Number shows shared papers.
Disease profile
A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.
Chronic B-cell lymphocytic leukemia is a chronic leukemia of abnormal B lymphocytes and often generalized lymphadenopathy. When the disease is dominated by blood and bone marrow involvement it is termed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and when lymph node enlargement predominates it is termed small lymphocytic lymphoma; these are considered a spectrum of the same disease.
The disease is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal B lymphocytes. The supplied literature also links it to B-cell-associated leukemia and lymphoma as a setting in which anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy has activity, but it does not provide a deeper mechanistic explanation of disease biology.
Management is described at the level of diagnosis, response assessment, and treatment options in updated CLL guidelines, but the supplied grounding does not specify particular drug classes beyond cellular immunotherapy. The review abstracts indicate that anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy is used in relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies, including B-cell-associated leukemia and lymphoma, and that it is associated with cytokine release syndrome as a major toxicity.
AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 3 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-07.
Reference
Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.
A chronic leukemia characterized by abnormal B-lymphocytes and often generalized lymphadenopathy. In patients presenting predominately with blood and bone marrow involvement it is called chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); in those predominately with enlarged lymph nodes it is called small lymphocytic lymphoma. These terms represent spectrums of the same disease.
- Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
- Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
- Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
- Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.