New combo therapy shows promise for relapsed leukemia

NCT ID NCT03160079

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.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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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.

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