The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved venetoclax for adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Approval was based on CLL14 (NCT02242942), a randomised (1:1), multi-centre open label, actively controlled trial of venetoclax in combination with obinutuzumab (VEN G) versus obinutuzumab in combination with chlorambucil (GClb) in 432 patients with previously untreated CLL with coexisting medical conditions.

The major efficacy outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by an independent review committee.

The trial demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in PFS for patients who received VEN G compared with those who received GClb (HR 0.33; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.51; p<0.0001).

Median PFS was not reached in either arm after a median follow-up duration of 28 months.

The overall response rate was 85 percent in VEN G arm compared to 71 percent in GClb arm, p=0.0007.

The trial also demonstrated statistically significant improvements in rates of minimal residual disease negativity (less than one CLL cell per 104 leukocytes) in bone marrow and peripheral blood.

Overall survival data were not mature at this analysis.

In CLL/SLL, the most common adverse reactions (≥ 20 percent) for venetoclax when administered with obinutuzumab, rituximab, or as monotherapy were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia, diarrhoea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, cough, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and oedema.

Source: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)