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Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 1 / Phase 2INTERVENTIONAL

Venetoclax and Chemotherapy as Frontline Therapy in Older Patients and Patients With Relapsed/Refractory ALL

A Phase Ib Study of the Combination of Venetoclax With Chemotherapy as Frontline Therapy in Older Patients and Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Venetoclax and Chemotherapy as Frontline Therapy in Older Patients and Patients With Relapsed/Refractory ALL (NCT03319901) is a Phase 1 / Phase 2 interventional studying Leukemia, sponsored by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

This research study is studying a medication called Venetoclax and a chemotherapy regimen as a possible treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The drugs involved in this study are: * Venetoclax * Standard Chemotherapy (which includes cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, etoposide, and cytarabine

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 1 trials test a new treatment for the first time in humans, focusing on safety, dosing, and how the body processes the drug. For Leukemia, a Phase 1 study typically enrolls a small number of participants — often healthy volunteers or patients who have exhausted standard treatment options. Phase 1 results determine whether a treatment moves into larger Phase 2 efficacy studies.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 82 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Leukemia subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Patients with previously untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell or T-cell) - Bone marrow involvement with ≥20% lymphoblasts - Age ≥ 60 Years OR - Patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell or T-cell) defined as receiving one or more cytotoxic containing regimens - Bone marrow involvement with ≥5% lymphoblasts - Age ≥ 18 Years - Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤2 (Refer to Appendix D) - your organs (liver, kidneys, etc.) are working well enough based on blood tests - Serum total bilirubin ≤1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) or ≤3 x ULN for patients with Gilbert's disease - Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤3.0 x ULN, unless clearly due to disease involvement - Creatinine clearance \>50 mL/min (calculated according to institutional standards or using Cockcroft-Gault or Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula) - Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) pregnancy test result within 14 days prior to the first dose of study drugs and must agree to use an effective contraception method during the study and for 30 days following the last dose of study drug. Women of non- childbearing potential are those who are postmenopausal greater than 1 year or who have had a bilateral tubal ligation or hysterectomy. Men who have partners of childbearing potential must agree to use an effective contraceptive method during the study and for 30 days following the last dose of study drug - Patients or their legally authorized representative must provide written willing to sign a consent form Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Ph-positive ALL, Burkitt's leukemia/lymphoma, or lymphoblastic lymphoma - Patient is pregnant or breastfeeding - Patients with uncontrolled infection - Hepatitis B or C infection, or known seropositivity for human weakened immune system virus (HIV) ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with previously untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell or T-cell) * Bone marrow involvement with ≥20% lymphoblasts * Age ≥ 60 Years OR * Patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell or T-cell) defined as receiving one or more cytotoxic containing regimens * Bone marrow involvement with ≥5% lymphoblasts * Age ≥ 18 Years * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤2 (Refer to Appendix D) * Adequate organ function * Serum total bilirubin ≤1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) or ≤3 x ULN for patients with Gilbert's disease * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤3.0 x ULN, unless clearly due to disease involvement * Creatinine clearance \>50 mL/min (calculated according to institutional standards or using Cockcroft-Gault or Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula) * Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) pregnancy test result within 14 days prior to the first dose of study drugs and must agree to use an effective contraception method during the study and for 30 days following the last dose of study drug. Women of non- childbearing potential are those who are postmenopausal greater than 1 year or who have had a bilateral tubal ligation or hysterectomy. Men who have partners of childbearing potential must agree to use an effective contraceptive method during the study and for 30 days following the last dose of study drug * Patients or their legally authorized representative must provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Ph-positive ALL, Burkitt's leukemia/lymphoma, or lymphoblastic lymphoma * Patient is pregnant or breastfeeding * Patients with uncontrolled infection * Hepatitis B or C infection, or known seropositivity for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) * Major surgery or radiation therapy within 4 weeks prior to the first study dose * Systemic chemotherapy/radiotherapy/investigational therapy within 14 days (with the exception of hydroxyurea and/or dexamethasone, or one dose of cytarabine) prior to starting therapy * Symptomatic or untreated leptomeningeal disease or spinal cord compression * Patients with active heart disease (New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 3-4 as assessed by history and physical examination, unstable angina/stroke/myocardial infarction within the last 6 months) * Patients with a cardiac ejection fraction (as measured by either Multi Gated Acquisition (MUGA) or echocardiogram (EKG)) \<40% * History of another primary invasive malignancy that has not been definitively treated or in remission for at least 2 years. Patients with non-melanoma skin cancers or with carcinomas in situ are eligible regardless of the time from diagnosis (including concomitant diagnoses) * Concurrent use of warfarin * Received Cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) inhibitors (such as fluconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole, and clarithromycin) within 3 days of starting venetoclax; received strong CYP3A inducers (such as rifampin, rifabutin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and St. John's Wort) within 3 days of starting venetoclax * Consumed grapefruit, grapefruit products, Seville oranges, or star fruit within 3 days prior to starting venetoclax * Prior treatment with venetoclax * Malabsorption syndrome or other conditions that preclude enteral route of administration * Other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that in the opinion of the investigator may increase the risk associated with study participation or investigational product administration or may interfere with the interpretation of study results and/or would make the patient inappropriate for enrollment into this study

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Venetoclax

Venetoclax is an inhibitor of Bcl-2. Bcl-2 is critical for keeping cancer cells alive. By inhibiting Bcl-2, venetoclax promotes cancer cell death.

DRUG

Standard Chemotherapy

Standard treatment of chemotherapy is administered

Locations (5)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, United States
Intermountain LDS Hospital
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT03319901), the sponsor (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT03319901 clinical trial studying?

This research study is studying a medication called Venetoclax and a chemotherapy regimen as a possible treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The drugs involved in this study are: * Venetoclax * Standard Chemotherapy (which includes cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, etoposide, and cytarabine The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT03319901?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT03319901?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT03319901. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT03319901. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.