UK Scientists Hail Breakthrough Dual Therapy for Leukemia Treatment

Watan-A group of British researchers has developed a new approach to treating leukemia, described as a “major breakthrough” that could significantly enhance the fight against the disease.

According to Sky News UK, the researchers found that this treatment outperforms conventional therapies and could revolutionize how chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)—the most common form of adult leukemia—is managed.

The study, led by scientists at the University of Leeds, involved 786 patients with CLL. Participants were divided into three groups: the first received standard chemotherapy; the second, the drug Ibrutinib; and the third, a new combination therapy of Ibrutinib and Venetoclax.

New Dual Drug Therapy Shows 94% Success Rate in Treating Leukemia

Ibrutinib is a cancer growth inhibitor that works by blocking the signals cancer cells use to divide and grow. Venetoclax, on the other hand, suppresses a protein critical to the survival of leukemia cells.

After five years, 94% of patients who received the Ibrutinib-Venetoclax combination remained alive with no disease progression—compared to 79% in the Ibrutinib-only group and just 58% in the chemotherapy group.

Dr. Talha Munir, a hematology consultant who led the study, called it “a landmark achievement in combating CLL,” noting that the dual therapy not only proves more effective but is also gentler than traditional chemotherapy.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a slow-growing blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow. Though it is rarely curable, it is often manageable with proper treatment.

This new combination therapy may soon become the new standard of care, offering hope for more effective, less invasive management of the disease.