Study summary

Stopping treatment once blood tests show no detectable leukemia worked well

FLAIR trial · Phase 3 · Published June 2025, New England Journal of Medicine

6.9%progressed or died with MRD-guided ibrutinib-venetoclax, vs 22.4% with ibrutinib alone

What was tested

Ibrutinib plus venetoclax with duration guided by measurable residual disease (MRD) tests, against ibrutinib alone or FCR chemo-immunotherapy, for previously untreated CLL.

What they found

Over about 5 years, progression or death occurred in 6.9% with MRD-guided ibrutinib-venetoclax vs 22.4% with ibrutinib alone.
No one on ibrutinib alone reached undetectable MRD within 2 years.

What it means

Personalized treatment length, based on blood tests, may become the norm.

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.