In 2024, a groundbreaking clinical trial changed the future of leukemia treatment. Connecticut Children’s was one of many institutions across the country that participated in a landmark study evaluating a drug called blinatumomab. Researchers wanted to find out if adding blinatumomab to chemotherapy could improve outcomes for patients with a particular type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 

Over the course of the trial, 4,381 patients enrolled nationwide including 19 at Connecticut Children’s. In short, the clinical trial was an overwhelming success, increasing survival rates for patients with high-risk disease by nearly 10%—a level of improvement that is almost unheard of in cancer treatment.