A Discussion of the CLL11 Trial

William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the CLL11 trial, a three-arm trial comparing chlorambucil versus chlorambucil plus rituximab versus chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Clinical Pearls:

• This trial showed that chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab was superior over the other two arms
• To be eligible for this trial, patients needed to have a SEER score higher than 6, which reflects comorbidities associated with age (over age 65 or 70) or renal insufficiency
• The data support that obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil is a superior treatment over other options for the elderly patient population or patients with comorbidities