Childhood cancer survival rates have improved dramatically over the past half century, largely due to discoveries made through clinical trials. Those discoveries are happening right here at Connecticut Children’s. For years, the Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders participated in a clinical trial that studied whether adding a drug called blinatumomab to chemotherapy would produce better results in patients with a particular type of leukemia than chemotherapy alone. Over the course of the study, 4,381 patients across the country enrolled in the trial—including 19 at Connecticut Children’s.

This clinical trial was an overwhelming success, increasing survival rates for patients with high-risk disease by nearly 10%—a rate of improvement that is almost unheard of in cancer treatment. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration approved blinatumomab in June of 2024, and it is now available to all adult and pediatric patients. 

Adrianna was one of the 19 patients at Connecticut Children’s who participated in the blinatumomab clinical trial. Today, her cancer is in remission.

Patient Adrianna smiling