New combo therapy shows promise for relapsed leukemia

NCT ID NCT03160079

Completed Disease control Sponsor: University of California, San Diego Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This early-phase trial tested a combination of two drugs—blinatumomab and pembrolizumab—in 16 adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who had high levels of cancer cells in their bone marrow. The goal was to see if adding pembrolizumab to blinatumomab could improve the rate of complete remission (no detectable cancer). The study is complete, but results are not yet reported.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: blinatumomab and pembrolizumab
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could improve remission rates for adults with hard-to-treat B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
What could go wrong: This is an early-phase, small trial (16 participants) with no control group, so results may not be conclusive. The drugs can cause serious side effects like infections or immune reactions.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia B-cell adult acute lymphocytic leukemia Burkitt lymphoma Recurrence

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

B-CELL ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA, ADULT

Contacts and locations

Locations

UC Irvine Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Orange, California, 92868, United States
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center

La Jolla, California, 92093, United States
UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center

San Francisco, California, 94143, United States
UCSF Fresno Community Cancer Institute

Clovis, California, 93611, United States

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