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Venetoclax

Phase 3

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia | Small molecule | Oncology |Roche Holding AG|Last Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Target and mechanism

Molecular targetBCL2
Target classInhibitor
ModalitySmall molecule

Success Probability

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Market & Valuation

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Trial Design

RandomizedACTIVE_CONTROLLEDDMC
Total Trials2
Total Enrollment507

FDA Designations

No designations recorded

Clinical trial landscape

Venetoclax · 7 trials · 12 indications

Phase 3 1Phase 2 3Phase 1 3
NCT02005471A Study to Evaluate the Benefit of Venetoclax Plus Rituximab Compared With Bendamustine Plus Rituximab in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
COMPLETED389 Analytics
PHASE3COMPLETED
A Study to Evaluate the Benefit of Venetoclax Plus Rituximab Compared With Bendamustine Plus Rituximab in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Chronic Lymphocytic LeukemiaUnlock trial analytics

Study Endpoints

Primary Endpoints

Percentage of Participants With PD as Assessed by the Investigator Using Standard International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL) Guidelines or Death
Baseline up to PD or death from any cause, whichever occurred first (up to approximately 8 years 5 months)

Assessment of response was performed by the investigator according to the iwCLL guidelines. PD was defined as occurrence of one of the following events: appearance of any new extra nodal lesion; new palpable lymph node (greater than \[\>\] 1.5 centimeters \[cm\]); unequivocal progression of non-target lesion; an increase of greater than or equal to (\>/=) 50 percent (%) compared to baseline in splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, number of blood lymphocytes with lymphocyte count \>/=5000 per microliter (mcL), or in longest diameter of any extra nodal lesion; transformation to a more aggressive histology; decrease of \>/=50% compared to baseline in platelet or neutrophil count; or decrease in hemoglobin level by \>2 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or to less than \[\<\] 10 g/dL. Percentages are rounded off.

Progression-Free Survival (PFS) as Assessed by the Investigator Using Standard iwCLL Guidelines
Baseline up to PD or death, whichever occurred first (up to approximately 8 years 5 months)

PFS was defined as the time from randomization until first occurrence of PD/relapse as assessed by the investigator using iwCLL guidelines, or death from any cause, whichever occurred first. PD: occurrence of one of the following: new lesion; new palpable lymph node (\>1.5 cm); unequivocal progression of non-target lesion; increase of \>/=50% in splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, blood lymphocytes with count \>/=5000/mcL, longest diameter of any lesion; transformation to more aggressive histology; decrease of \>/=50% in platelet or neutrophil count, or hemoglobin level by \>2 g/dL or to \<10 g/dL. Participants who had not progressed, relapsed, or died at the time of analysis, were censored on the date of last assessment. In case of no disease assessment after baseline, PFS was censored at the time of randomization+1 day. The median PFS was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed using method of Brookmeyer and Crowley.

uMRD4 Rate at EOCT
Cycle 12 Day 28 (Cycle length= 28 Days)

uMRD4 will be assessed using next generation sequencing (NGS) (sensitivity 10\^-4) from PB.

Relapse-free survival (RFS)
From date of complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete count recovery (CRi), assessed for up to 10 years

The study will be continuously monitored for the primary endpoint, RFS, using the method of Thall, Wooten, and Tannir (2005). Will also summarize the posterior distribution of lambda-E (i.e., median RFS) assuming posterior mean and 95% credible interval.

3-month Rate of Complete Response (CR)
Relevant to this endpoint, it is at 3 month.

The CRR is defined as the proportion of participants achieving complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) based on 2008 IW-CLL Response Criteria.

Number of Participants with Dose Limiting Toxicities (DLT) (Phase 1)
Up to 6 cycles (approximately 6 months)

The number of participants with dose limiting toxicities for each treatment dose will be used to determine the MTD. Dose limiting toxicity defined as grade 4 neutropenia lasting more than 5 days, any grade febrile neutropenia, grade 4 thrombocytopenia, grade 3 thrombocytopenia with bleeding, other therapy related non-hematologic toxicity of grade 2 or higher that requires discontinuation of therapy, clinical tumor lysis syndrome (TLS), laboratory TLS if the metabolic abnormalities are considered clinically significant by the investigator. All other grade 3 or higher adverse events (AEs) will be considered as DLTs with a few exceptions.

Hematologic ≥ Very Good Partial Response (VGPR) Rate (Phase 2)
Up to 6 cycles (approximately 6 months)

Hematologic ≥VGPR rate defined as proportion of participants achieving VGPR, low serum differential free light chain concentration (dFLC) partial response (PR), or a complete (CR). VGPR is defined as the difference between involved and uninvolved free light chain (FLC) \[dFLC\] \< 40 mg/L. Low dFLC PR is defined as achieving a dFLC\<10 mg/L, low dFLC PR will be considered as a deep hematologic response and included in the ≥VGPR category). CR is defined as negative serum and urine immunofixation electrophoresis along with a serum free light chain ratio that lies within the normal range or skewed towards the non-amyloid forming light chain, as per institutional laboratory values

Incidence and severity of all reported adverse events (Phase I)
Up to 28 days

The overall incidence and severity of all reported adverse events using Common Toxicity Criteria version 5.0.

Overall response rate (ORR) (Phase II)
Up to 8 weeks

ORR will be defined as the proportion of patients who had complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR) or marrow CR (mCR), or hematologic improvement (HI) lasting at least 8 weeks. Will estimate the ORR for the combination treatment, along with the 95% credible interval.

Safety: Number of Participants With Dose-Limiting Toxicities (DLTs)
Start of venetoclax administration (Cycle 1 Day 4 or 3 days after first CHOP dose) up to end of Cycle 2 (cycle length = 21 days)

DLTs were reported according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Version 4.0 (NCI CTCAE v4.0). Decrease in B cells, lymphopenia, and leukopenia caused by lymphopenia were not considered DLTs but instead were expected outcomes of study treatment. Any Grade \>/= 3 adverse event, that was attributed to having a reasonable possibility of being related to the combined administration of venetoclax plus R-CHOP or G-CHOP, that could not be attributed by the investigator to an alternative, clearly identifiable cause such as tumor progression, concurrent illness or medical condition, or concomitant medication and that occurred during the DLT observation period (start of venetoclax treatment through end of Cycle 2) was considered a DLT for dose-escalation purposes. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia or thrombocytopenia identified on Day 1 of Cycle 2 or 3, resulting in dose delay were considered DLTs.

Percentage of Previously Untreated DLBCL Participants With Complete Response (CR) Defined by Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET/CT) Scan Using the Modified Lugano Classification Assessed by Independent Review Committee (IRC)
Baseline up to end of treatment (up to approximately 6 months)

CR was defined as follows according to modified Lugano classification for PET/CT-based response: Lymph nodes and extra-lymphatic sites with score 1, 2, or 3 with or without a residual mass on 5-point scale with 1) no uptake above background; 2) uptake \</= mediastinum; 3) uptake \< mediastinum but \</= liver. No evidence of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-uptake disease in marrow. If the bone marrow was involved by lymphoma prior to treatment, the infiltrate must have cleared on repeat bone marrow biopsy

Percentage of Participants With CR Defined by PET/CT Scan in Previously Untreated DLBCL Co-Expressing Both Bcl-2 and c-Myc Proteins (DE-DLBCL) Participants Assessed by IRC
Baseline up to end of treatment (up to approximately 6 months)

CR was defined as follows according to modified Lugano classification for PET/CT-based response: Lymph nodes and extra-lymphatic sites with score 1, 2, or 3 with or without a residual mass on 5-point scale with 1) no uptake above background; 2) uptake \</= mediastinum; 3) uptake \< mediastinum but \</= liver. No evidence of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-uptake disease in marrow. If the bone marrow was involved by lymphoma prior to treatment, the infiltrate must have cleared on repeat bone marrow biopsy.

Secondary Endpoints

Percentage of Participants With PD or Death as Assessed by the Independent Review Committee (IRC) Using Standard iwCLL Guidelines
Baseline up to PD or death, whichever occurred first (up to approximately 3 years)
PFS as Assessed by the IRC Using Standard iwCLL Guidelines
Baseline up to PD or death, whichever occurred first (up to approximately 3 years)
Percentage of Participants With PD or Death as Assessed by the Investigator Using Standard iwCLL Guidelines in Participants With 17p Deletion as Identified by Fluorescence In-situ Hybridization (FISH) Test
Baseline up to PD or death, whichever occurred first (up to approximately 8 years 5 months)
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Study Design & Arms

AllocationRANDOMIZED
MaskingNONE
ModelPARALLEL
PurposeTREATMENT

Treatment Arms

ArmTypeDescription
Bendamustine + RituximabACTIVE_COMPARATORParticipants will receive bendamustine 70 milligrams per meter square (mg/m\^2) via intravenous (IV) infusion on Days 1 and 2 of each 28-day cycle for 6 cycles, in combination with rituximab 375 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 of Cycle 1 followed by 500 mg/m\^2 on Day 1 of Cycles 2-6.
Venetoclax + RituximabEXPERIMENTALParticipants will be initially placed on a venetoclax 5 weeks ramp-up period, and will receive an initial dose of 20 milligrams (mg) via tablet orally once daily (QD). Then the dose will be incremented weekly up to a maximum dose of 400 mg. Participants will then continue receiving venetoclax 400 mg QD from Week 6 (Day 1 of Cycle 1 of combination therapy) onwards, as directed by the investigator, in combination with rituximab 375 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 of Cycle 1 followed by 500 mg/m\^2 on Day 1 of Cycles 2-6.
Bendamustine + Rituximab Crossover SubstudyEXPERIMENTALParticipants entering the Crossover Substudy will have a 5-week venetoclax dose ramp-up period to reach the target dose of 400 mg QD. Following the venetoclax ramp-up period, Participants will receive 6 cycles of rituximab consisting of a single infusion on the first day of each 28-day cycle. Participants will continue to take their daily dose of venetoclax during the rituximab cycles. Participants who have not progressed following the completion of the 6 cycles will continue to receive venetoclax monotherapy until disease progression or for a maximum of 2 years from Cycle 1 Crossover Day 1 of the Substudy.
Venetoclax + Rituximab Re-TreatmentEXPERIMENTALParticipants entering the Re-Treatment Substudy will have a 5-week venetoclax dose ramp-up period to reach the target dose of 400 mg QD. Following the venetoclax ramp-up period, Participants will receive 6 cycles of rituximab consisting of a single infusion on the first day of each 28-day cycle. Participants will continue to take their daily dose of venetoclax during the rituximab cycles. Participants who have not progressed following the completion of the 6 cycles will continue to receive venetoclax monotherapy until disease progression or for a maximum of 2 years from Cycle 1 Re-Treatment Day 1 of the Substudy.
Venetoclax Added to cBTKi (Commercially Prescribed)EXPERIMENTALParticipants will receive venetoclax, orally, once daily (QD) with a starting ramp-up dose of 20 milligrams (mg) on Day 1 of Cycle 1 (cycle length= 28 days). The dose will increase weekly; thereafter, treatment will continue with venetoclax at the target dose of 400 mg, QD from Week 5 up to Day 28 of Cycle 12. Participant will discontinue from venetoclax and/or cBTKi after 12 cycles. Participants with detectable measurable residual disease with the presence of less than 1 CLL cell in 10,000 leukocytes (\< 10\^-4) (MRD4) or uMRD4 with partial response (PR) may continue receiving cBTKi-monotherapy (i.e. ibrutinib or acalabrutinib, or zanubrutinib) as previously prescribed by the investigator according to the prescribing label.
Treatment (azacytidine, venetoclax)EXPERIMENTALPatients receive azacitidine SC or IV over 1 hour daily on days 1-5, and venetoclax PO daily on days 1-14. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 24 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
VR-EPOCH (Cohort 1)EXPERIMENTAL* Standard chemotherapy regimen, DA-EPOCH-R * Chemotherapy cycles will be administered approximately every 3 weeks * Initial venetoclax dose ramp-up will be done in a condensed fashion over approximately 5 days, followed by continuous daily dosing of 400mg
VR-CHOP (Cohort 2)EXPERIMENTAL* Standard chemotherapy regimen, R-CHOP * Chemotherapy cycles will be administered approximately every 3 weeks * Initial venetoclax dose ramp-up will be done in a condensed fashion over approximately 5 days, followed by continuous daily dosing of 400mg
Phase 1: Venetoclax 200 mgEXPERIMENTALCohort 1: Venetoclax 200 mg tablet, once daily for up to 2 cycles after achieving best response, for a maximum of 6 cycles (1 cycle = 28 days)
Phase 1: Venetoclax 400mgEXPERIMENTALCohort 2: Venetoclax 400 mg tablet, once daily for up to 2 cycles after achieving best response, for a maximum of 6 cycles (1 cycle = 28 days)
Phase 1: Venetoclax 400mg + Dexamethasone 10 mgEXPERIMENTALCohort 3: Venetoclax 400 mg tablet, once daily and Dexamethasone 10 mg tablet once weekly, for up to 2 cycles after achieving best response, for a maximum of 6 cycles (1 cycle = 28 days)
Phase 1: Venetoclax 400mg + Dexamethasone 20 mgEXPERIMENTALCohort 4: Venetoclax 400 mg tablet, once daily and Dexamethasone 20 mg tablet once weekly, for up to 2 cycles after achieving best response, for a maximum of 6 cycles (1 cycle = 28 days)
Phase 2: Venetoclax MTD with DexamethasoneEXPERIMENTALVenetoclax MTD (200 mg or 400 mg) with Dexamethasone (10 mg or 20 mg) as determined by the phase I results
Phase 2: Control Arm (Investigator's Choice)ACTIVE_COMPARATORParticipants will receive one of the following as determined by the investigator: Daratumumab, Pomalidomide, Bendamustine, or Ixazomib (+/- dexamethasone)
Treatment (venetoclax, ASTX727)EXPERIMENTALPatients receive venetoclax orally PO QD on days 1-14. Patients also receive ASTX727 PO QD on days 1-5. Cycles repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Venetoclax + G-CHOP ArmEXPERIMENTALPhase I: Participants will receive 6 cycles of CHOP and 8 cycles of venetoclax + obinutuzumab. Each cycle will consist of 21 days. Phase II: Participants will receive 6 cycles of CHOP and 8 cycles of venetoclax (at dose determined in Phase I) + obinutuzumab. Each cycle will consist of 21 days. For both phase I and II, participants with ongoing response without excessive toxicity may receive up to eight cycles of CHOP following discussion between the investigator and the Medical Monitor.
Venetoclax + R-CHOP ArmEXPERIMENTALPhase I: Participants will receive 6 cycles of CHOP and 8 cycles of venetoclax + rituximab. Each cycle will consist of 21 days. Phase II: Participants will receive 6 cycles of CHOP and 8 cycles of venetoclax (at dose determined in Phase I) + rituximab. Each cycle will consist of 21 days. For both phase I and II, participants with ongoing response without excessive toxicity may receive up to eight cycles of CHOP following discussion between the investigator and the Medical Monitor.

Interventions

NameTypeDescription
BendamustineDRUGBendamustine will be administered at a dose of 70 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Days 1 and 2 of each 28-day cycle, for 6 cycles.
VenetoclaxDRUGVenetoclax will be administered at an initial dose of 20 mg via tablet orally QD, incremented weekly up to a maximum dose of 400 mg during a 5-week ramp-up period. Venetoclax will be continued at 400 mg QD from Week 6 (Day 1 of Cycle 1 of combination therapy) onwards up to disease progression (PD) or 2 years, whichever occurs first. R/C Substudy: venetoclax will be administered for 5-week dose ramp-up period to reach the target dose of 400 mg QD. Venetoclax will continue to be administered during the rituximab cycles until disease progression or for a maximum of 2 years from Cycle 1R/C Day 1 of the R/C Substudy.
RituximabDRUGRituximab will be administered at a dose of 375 mg/m\^2 via IV infusion on Day 1 of Cycle 1 and at a dose of 500 mg/m\^2 on Day 1 of Cycles 2-6. R/C Substudy: Following the venetoclax ramp-up period, rituximab will be administered for 6 cycles consisting of a single infusion on the first day of each 28-day cycle.
cBTKi MonotherapyDRUGCommercially available cBTKi (ibrutinib or acalabrutinib, or zanubrutinib) will be administered in accordance with its prescribing label.
AzacitidineDRUGGiven SC or IV
DA-EPOCH-ROTHERIntensive chemotherapy regiment
R-CHOPOTHERIntensive chemotherapy regiment
Venetoclax Oral Tablet, 200 mgDRUG200 mg oral tablet daily
FISH assayDEVICECytogenetic analysis is intended for evaluation of relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using known translocation probes. Bone marrow aspirate (BMA) samples are collected in lavender top (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)) or green top (Sodium heparin) tubes. Specimen tubes shall be transported at room temperature to the laboratory on the same day of collection.
Venetoclax Oral Tablet, 400 mgDRUG400 mg oral tablet daily
Dexamethasone Oral, 10 mgDRUG10 mg oral tablet weekly
Dexamethasone Oral, 20 mgDRUG20 mg oral tablet weekly
Daratumumab InjectionDRUGDaratumumab will be administered at a dose of 16 mg/kg by IV infusion once weekly for weeks 1 to 8, every 2 weeks for weeks 9 to 24, and every 4 weeks thereafter for a maximum of 6 months of therapy. If subcutaneous formulation is available, participants can also receive subcutaneous daratumumab (1800 mg in 15 ml) in the same schedule.
PomalidomideDRUGPomalidomide will be administered at an initial dose of 2 mg per days on days 1-21 every 28 days.
IxazomibDRUGIxazomib will be administered at an initial dose of 4 mg per days on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days.
Venetoclax MTD with DexamethasoneDRUGVenetoclax MTD (200 mg or 400 mg) with Dexamethasone (10 mg or 20 mg) as determined by the phase I results
Decitabine and CedazuridineDRUGGiven PO
CyclophosphamideDRUGCyclophosphamide 750 milligrams per square meter (mg/m\^2) administered intravenously (IV) on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle up to Cycle 6.
ObinutuzumabDRUGObinutuzumab will be administered by IV infusion as an absolute dose of 1000 mg on Days 1, 8, 15 of Cycle 1 and Day 1 of Cycles 2-8 (cycle length = 21 days).
DoxorubicinDRUGDoxorubicin 50 mg/m\^2 administered IV on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle up to Cycle 6.
VincristineDRUGVincristine 1.4 mg/m\^2 (maximum 2 mg) administered IV on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle up to Cycle 6.
PrednisoneDRUGPrednisone 100 mg per day orally on Days 1-5 of each 21-day cycle up to Cycle 6.
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Eligibility Criteria

Age Range18 Years to N/A
SexALL
Healthy VolunteersNo
Study Sites111

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of CLL per diagnostic criteria for relapsed or refractory CLL per the international workshop on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (iwCLL) guidelines * Previously treated with 1-3 lines of therapy (example: completed greater than or equal to \[\>/=\] 2 treatment cycles per...

Countries:United StatesAustraliaAustriaBelgiumCanadaCzechiaDenmarkFranceGermanyHungaryItalyNetherlandsNew ZealandPolandRussiaSouth KoreaSpainSwedenTaiwanUnited Kingdom
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Frequently asked questions about Venetoclax

What is Venetoclax used for?

Venetoclax is an investigational small molecule being studied for AL Amyloidosis, Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Richter Syndrome, Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Remission, and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. It is in clinical development for these conditions and is not yet approved for any of them.

Who makes Venetoclax?

Venetoclax is being developed by Roche Holding AG, traded under the ticker RHHBY. The company is conducting clinical trials to evaluate the drug's safety and efficacy across multiple hematologic malignancies and related conditions.

What phase is Venetoclax in?

Venetoclax is in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. It is an investigational drug still in clinical development and has not been approved by regulatory authorities. The trials are evaluating its use in various blood cancers and related disorders.

What clinical trials is Venetoclax in?

Venetoclax is being studied in several trials, including NCT02055820 for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, NCT04062266 for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Remission, NCT05451771 for AL Amyloidosis, and NCT06524375 for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. These trials are at various stages, with some completed and others active.

Is Venetoclax the same as Venetoclax Oral Tablet, 200 mg?

Yes, Venetoclax is also known as Venetoclax Oral Tablet, 200 mg. This refers to the specific oral formulation and dosage strength being evaluated in clinical trials. The drug is administered orally in this tablet form.