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New option for first-line treatment of CLL

Published on: 7 December 2020

Venetoclax plus obinituzumab is now available on the NHS throughout the UK for people with CLL who have not been treated before.

NICE and SMC logo

In February, we reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had extended the licence for venetoclax, in combination with obinutuzumab, to include the treatment of adults chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who had not been treated before.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish Medicines Consortium have recently announced that the combination will be made available on the NHS for people with CLL who have not been treated before and either:

  • have high-risk genetic mutations in their CLL cells
  • do not have high-risk genetic mutations in their CLL cells but are not able to have treatment with the usual first-choice chemotherapy regimens used to treat CLL.

This means the combination of venetoclax plus obinutuzumab will be available on the NHS throughout the UK for people with previously untreated CLL.

7 December 2020