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BTK Degrader Updates for CLL from ASH 2025
At the 2025 ASH conference, researchers shared new updates on BTK degraders for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Learn what they found and how you may be eligible to receive these treatments in clinical trials.
What are BTK degraders, and how can they treat CLL?
Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a key protein that helps CLL cells survive and grow. Many people with CLL are treated with BTK inhibitors, which block this signal. Over time, some CLL cells develop changes, called mutations, that allow them to bypass this block, and treatment stops working.
BTK degraders take a different approach from BTK inhibitors. Instead of just blocking BTK, they tag the BTK protein for removal, allowing the cell to break it down. This may help overcome resistance and treat CLL that no longer responds to earlier options.
BGB-16673 showed deepening responses over time
BGB-16673 (BeOne) was studied in people with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL who had received a median of 4 prior treatments, including BTK inhibitors and BCL-2 inhibitors. Most participants also had high-risk features, such as del(17p)/TP53 mutation.
Of the 66 patients, the medication controlled the cancer in 86.4% of participants. About 5% of patients experienced a complete response. The median time to response was 2.8 months. The median is the midpoint. This means that half of the patients responded to treatment before 2.8 months and half after. Nearly half of patients stayed on treatment for at least 1 year, and responses often improved with time.
Common side effects included fatigue, bruising, diarrhea, and low white blood cell counts. More serious side effects were less common but included infections. To learn how side effects from CLL therapies are managed, click here.
These results show that the BTK degrader BGB-16673 helped the majority of people with high-risk CLL who had exhausted other prior treatments. Click the button below to check if you’re a match to take BGB-16673 in this clinical trial.
See if You’re Eligible to Join this Study
Bexobrutideg showed rapid and lasting responses
Bexobrutideg (Nurix) is another BTK degrader. It was studied in a large phase 1 trial for people with high-risk CLL/SLL who had received a median of 4 prior treatments.
The medication controlled the cancer in 78.6% of participants. Of those, 60 patients had a partial response, and 5 had a partial response with lymphocytosis. This is a measurement specific to CLL. Sometimes, medications that target BTK can cause high lymphocytes. One patient had a complete response.
The median time to response was around 2 months. The median is the midpoint. This means that half of the patients responded to treatment before 2 months and half after.
Many people stayed on treatment for more than 1 year, and their responses continued to improve over time. The treatment worked in people with different BTK mutations, including mutations that are known to cause resistance to earlier BTK inhibitors.
Bexobrutideg was generally well tolerated. Common side effects included bruising, fatigue, diarrhea, and low blood counts. To learn how side effects from CLL therapies are managed, click here.
These findings show bexobrutideg supported heavily pre-treated patients with high-risk CLL to experience control over the cancer with manageable side effects. Click the button below to check if you’re a match to take bexobrutideg in this clinical trial.
See if You’re Eligible to Join This Study
Key takeaways
Both BTK degraders showed encouraging results in people with high-risk CLL who had already received several treatments. Because these studies are still early, more research will help find how long these benefits last and what dose works best.
If you are living with CLL and have already tried multiple treatments, you may be eligible to join one of these clinical trials to receive a BTK degrader. These therapies may also become approved in the future. Talking with your care team about clinical trials and newer treatments can help you understand what may be available for your situation.
Get the latest CLL updates delivered to you! The HealthTree newsletter shares core education, research advances, and more directly to your inbox.
At the 2025 ASH conference, researchers shared new updates on BTK degraders for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Learn what they found and how you may be eligible to receive these treatments in clinical trials.
What are BTK degraders, and how can they treat CLL?
Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a key protein that helps CLL cells survive and grow. Many people with CLL are treated with BTK inhibitors, which block this signal. Over time, some CLL cells develop changes, called mutations, that allow them to bypass this block, and treatment stops working.
BTK degraders take a different approach from BTK inhibitors. Instead of just blocking BTK, they tag the BTK protein for removal, allowing the cell to break it down. This may help overcome resistance and treat CLL that no longer responds to earlier options.
BGB-16673 showed deepening responses over time
BGB-16673 (BeOne) was studied in people with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL who had received a median of 4 prior treatments, including BTK inhibitors and BCL-2 inhibitors. Most participants also had high-risk features, such as del(17p)/TP53 mutation.
Of the 66 patients, the medication controlled the cancer in 86.4% of participants. About 5% of patients experienced a complete response. The median time to response was 2.8 months. The median is the midpoint. This means that half of the patients responded to treatment before 2.8 months and half after. Nearly half of patients stayed on treatment for at least 1 year, and responses often improved with time.
Common side effects included fatigue, bruising, diarrhea, and low white blood cell counts. More serious side effects were less common but included infections. To learn how side effects from CLL therapies are managed, click here.
These results show that the BTK degrader BGB-16673 helped the majority of people with high-risk CLL who had exhausted other prior treatments. Click the button below to check if you’re a match to take BGB-16673 in this clinical trial.
See if You’re Eligible to Join this Study
Bexobrutideg showed rapid and lasting responses
Bexobrutideg (Nurix) is another BTK degrader. It was studied in a large phase 1 trial for people with high-risk CLL/SLL who had received a median of 4 prior treatments.
The medication controlled the cancer in 78.6% of participants. Of those, 60 patients had a partial response, and 5 had a partial response with lymphocytosis. This is a measurement specific to CLL. Sometimes, medications that target BTK can cause high lymphocytes. One patient had a complete response.
The median time to response was around 2 months. The median is the midpoint. This means that half of the patients responded to treatment before 2 months and half after.
Many people stayed on treatment for more than 1 year, and their responses continued to improve over time. The treatment worked in people with different BTK mutations, including mutations that are known to cause resistance to earlier BTK inhibitors.
Bexobrutideg was generally well tolerated. Common side effects included bruising, fatigue, diarrhea, and low blood counts. To learn how side effects from CLL therapies are managed, click here.
These findings show bexobrutideg supported heavily pre-treated patients with high-risk CLL to experience control over the cancer with manageable side effects. Click the button below to check if you’re a match to take bexobrutideg in this clinical trial.
See if You’re Eligible to Join This Study
Key takeaways
Both BTK degraders showed encouraging results in people with high-risk CLL who had already received several treatments. Because these studies are still early, more research will help find how long these benefits last and what dose works best.
If you are living with CLL and have already tried multiple treatments, you may be eligible to join one of these clinical trials to receive a BTK degrader. These therapies may also become approved in the future. Talking with your care team about clinical trials and newer treatments can help you understand what may be available for your situation.
Get the latest CLL updates delivered to you! The HealthTree newsletter shares core education, research advances, and more directly to your inbox.
about the author
Megan Heaps
Megan joined HealthTree in 2022. She enjoys helping patients and their care partners understand the various aspects of the cancer. This understanding enables them to better advocate for themselves and improve their treatment outcomes.
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