Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children, and while cure rates are high, some children still relapse after receiving chemotherapy treatment. A new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in December 2024, tested whether adding the immunotherapy drug blinatumomab to chemotherapy could improve outcomes for children with standard-risk B-cell ALL.

More than 1,400 children were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either standard chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus blinatumomab. Blinatumomab is an immunotherapy that helps the immune system target and destroy leukemia cells.

The results were clear. 96% of children who received blinatumomab plus chemotherapy were disease-free at three years, compared with 88% in the chemotherapy-only group. Importantly, relapses that occurred in the bone marrow (which are often the hardest to treat) were far less common in the blinatumomab group. Furthermore, side effects were generally manageable, highlighting its safety and viability as a treatment option.

What this means for patients:

For families facing a new diagnosis of standard-risk B-ALL, this study is encouraging news. The addition of blinatumomab meaningfully reduced the risk of relapse. This could translate into fewer children needing more intensive treatments later, such as a bone marrow transplant.

Bottom line:

This trial suggests that combining blinatumomab with chemotherapy could become a new standard approach for children with standard-risk B-ALL. It gives families and doctors another tool to improve cure rates while avoiding overly aggressive treatment for most children. Parents should talk with their child’s oncologist about whether immunotherapy could be part of their care plan now or in the future.

To learn more about the study, read here.