Study summary

Stopping treatment after a set time worked as well as taking pills indefinitely

CLL17 trial · Phase 3 · Published December 2025, New England Journal of Medicine

81.1%progression-free at 3 years with fixed-duration venetoclax-obinutuzumab

What was tested

Fixed-duration venetoclax-obinutuzumab or venetoclax-ibrutinib, against continuous ibrutinib taken indefinitely, for previously untreated CLL.

What they found

3-year progression-free survival was 81.1% (venetoclax-obinutuzumab), 79.4% (venetoclax-ibrutinib) and 81.0% (continuous ibrutinib).
Fixed-duration treatment met the test for being no worse than continuous treatment.

What it means

Gives many people the option of a treatment break instead of lifelong pills, with similar disease control.

N Engl J Med, via PubMed ↗ ← Back to the outlook

Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.