Al-Sawaf O, Stumpf J, Zhang C, Simon F, Bosch F, Feyzi E, Ghia P, Gregor M, Kater AP, Lindström V, Mattsson M, Niemann CU, Staber PB, Tadmor T, Thornton P, Wendtner CM, Janssens A, Noesslinger T, Bohn JP, da Cunha-Bang C, Poulsen CB, Ranti J, Illmer T, Schoettker B, Böttcher S, Gaska T, Vandenberghe E, Clifford R, Benjamini O, Frustaci AM, Scarfò L, Sportoletti P, Schreurs J, Levin MD, van der Straaten H, van der Klift M, Tran H, de la Serna J, Loscertales J, Lindblad O, Bergendahl Sandstedt A, Goede J, Baumann M, Fink AM, Fischer K, Ritgen M, Kreuzer KA, Schneider C, Tausch E, Stilgenbauer S, Robrecht S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M; CLL17 Trial Investigators. Fixed-Duration versus Continuous Treatment for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2025 Dec 6. doi: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2515458
Simon F, Al-Sawaf O, Seymour JF, Eichhorst B. Surrogate endpoints in mature B-cell neoplasms – meaningful or misleading? Leukemia. 2025;39(1):25–28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-024-02483-5
Al-Sawaf O, Fürstenau M, Giza A, Robrecht S, von Tresckow J, Fink AM, Simon F, Tausch E, Schneider C, Sivcheva L, Schwarer A, Loscertales J, Weinkove R, Strumberg D, Kilfoyle A, Juliusson G, da Cunha-Bang C, Illmer T, Gregor M, Thornton P, Janssens A, Tadmor T, Lindström V, Staber P, Levin MD, Wendtner CM, Kreuzer KA, Ritgen M, Stilgenbauer S, Kater AP, Niemann C, Fischer K, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. The impact of fitness and dose intensity on clinical outcomes with venetoclax-obinutuzumab in CLL. Blood. 2025 Nov 13;146(20):2406-2416. doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2025028899 .
Simon F, Giza A, Robrecht S, Fink AM, Cramer P, von Tresckow J, Fürstenau M, Goede V, Tausch E, Schneider C, Stilgenbauer S, Wendtner CM, Eichhorst B, Fischer K, Hallek M, Al-Sawaf O. End Point Surrogacy in First-Line Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2025;43(4):381–391. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.24.01192
Langerbeins P, Robrecht S, Nieper P, Cramer P, Fürstenau M, Al-Sawaf O, Simon F, Fink AM, Kreuzer KA, Vehling-Kaiser U, Tausch E, Schneider C, Müller L, Eckart MJ, Schlag R, Freier W, Gaska T, Balser C, Reiser M, Stauch M, Zahn MO, Dörfel S, Staib P, Behlendorf T, Hensel M, Hebart H, Klaproth H, Block A, Liersch R, Hauch U, Heinrich B, Wendtner CM, Fischer K, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. Ibrutinib in Early-Stage Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: The Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Phase III CLL12 Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2025;43(4):392–402. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.24.00975
Fürstenau M, Robrecht S, Schneider C, Tausch E, Giza A, Ritgen M, Bittenbring J, Hebart H, Schöttker B, Illert AL, Graeven U, Stoltefuß A, Heinrich B, Eckert R, Fink A, Stumpf J, Fischer K, Al-Sawaf O, Simon F, Kleinert F, Weiss J, Kreuzer KA, Schilhabel A, Brüggemann M, Langerbeins P, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M, Cramer P MRD-guided zanubrutinib, venetoclax, and obinutuzumab in relapsed CLL: primary end point analysis of the CLL2-BZAG trial. Blood. 2025;145(12):1282–1292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2024026685
Kittai AS, Marchetti M, Al-Sawaf O, Benjamini O, Danilov AV, Davids MS, Eichhorst B, Eyre TA, Frustaci AM, Hallek M, Hampel PJ, Herishanu Y, Hicks RJ, Kater AP, King RL, Martin-Subero JI, Owen C, Parry E, Ponzoni M, Rossi D, Siddiqi T, Stilgenbauer S, Tam CS, Hacken ET, Thompson PA, Wierda W, Gaidano G, Woyach JA, Ghia P. International Consensus Statement on Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Research of Richter Transformation: the ERIC Recommendations. Blood. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2024028064
Al-Sawaf O. MURANO’s final conclusions: what we’ve learned, what’s next? Blood. 2025;145(23):2674–2676. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2025028678
Al-Sawaf O, Ligtvoet R, Robrecht S, Stumpf J, Fink AM, Tausch E, Schneider C, Böttcher S, Mikusko M, Ritgen M, Schetelig J, von Tresckow J, Vehling-Kaiser U, Gaska T, Wendtner CM, Chapuy B, Fischer K, Kreuzer KA, Stilgenbauer S, Staber P, Niemann C, Hallek M, Eichhorst B. Tislelizumab plus zanubrutinib for Richter transformation: the phase 2 RT1 trial. Nature Medicine. 2024;30(1):240–248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02722-9
Al-Sawaf O, Robrecht S, Zhang C, Olivieri S, Chang YM, Fink AM, Tausch E, Schneider C, Ritgen M, Kreuzer KA, Sivchev L, Niemann CU, Schwarer A, Loscertales J, Weinkove R, Strumberg D, Kilfoyle A, Manzoor BS, Jawaid D, Emechebe N, Devine J, Boyer M, Runkel ED, Eichhorst B, Stilgenbauer S, Jiang Y, Hallek M, Fischer K. Venetoclax–obinutuzumab for previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia: 6-year results of the randomized phase 3 CLL14 study. Blood. 2024;144(18):1924–1935. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2024024631
Langerbeins P, Giza A, Robrecht S, Cramer P, von Tresckow J, Al-Sawaf O, Fink AM, Fürstenau M, Kutsch N, Simon F, Goede V, Hoechstetter M, Niemann CU, da Cunha-Bang C, Kater A, Dubois J, Gregor M, Staber PB, Tausch E, Schneider C, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Fischer K, Hallek M. Reassessing the chronic lymphocytic leukemia International Prognostic Index in the era of targeted therapies. Blood. 2024;143(25):2588–2598. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023022564
Fürstenau M, Giza A, Weiss J, Kleinert F, Robrecht S, Franzen F, Stumpf J, Langerbeins P, Al-Sawaf O, Simon F, Fink AM, Schneider C, Tausch E, Schetelig J, Dreger P, Böttcher S, Fischer K, Kreuzer KA, Ritgen M, Schilhabel A, Brüggemann M, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M, Cramer P. Acalabrutinib, venetoclax, and obinutuzumab in relapsed/refractory CLL: final efficacy and ctDNA analysis of the CLL2-BAAG trial. Blood. 2024;144(3):272–282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023022730
Cramer P, von Tresckow J, Fink AM, Robrecht S, Giza A, Tausch E, Müller L, Knauf W, Zingerle M, Al-Sawaf O, Langerbeins P, Fischer K, Kreuzer KA, Kneba M, Wendtner CM, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. Bendamustine, followed by obinutuzumab and idelalisib in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL2-BCG). American Journal of Hematology. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.27304
Al-Sawaf O, Davids MS. Overcoming resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia—maybe less is more? Clinical Cancer Research. 2024;30(3):471–473. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-2872
Stumpf J, Al-Sawaf O. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: time-limited therapy in the first-line setting and role of minimal residual disease. Current Oncology Reports. 2024;26(2):136–146.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-023-01482-6
Goergen E, Al-Sawaf O. The prognostic significance of genomic complexity in patients with CLL. Leukemia & Lymphoma. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10428194.2024.2333448
Stamatopoulos K, Pavlova S, Al-Sawaf O, Chatzikonstantinou T, Karamanidou C, Gaidano G, Cymbalista F, Kater AP, Rawstron A, Scarfò L, Ghia P, Rosenquist R. Realizing precision medicine in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Hemasphere. 2024;8:e113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hem3.113
Al-Sawaf O, Eichhorst B. Treatment of Richter transformation—immunotherapy to the rescue? Lancet Oncology. 2024;25(10):1248–1249. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00485-6
Al-Sawaf O, Weiss J, Skrzypski M, Lam JM, Karasaki T, Zambrana F, Kidd AC, Frankell AM, Watkins TBK, Martínez-Ruiz C, Puttick C, Black JRM, Huebner A, Bakir MA, Sokač M, Collins S, Veeriah S, Magno N, Naceur-Lombardelli C, Prymas P, Toncheva A, Ward S, Jayanth N, Salgado R, Bridge CP, Christiani DC, Mak RH, Bay C, Rosenthal M, Sattar N, Welsh P, Liu Y, Perrimon N, Popuri K, Beg MF, McGranahan N, Hackshaw A, Breen DM, O’Rahilly S, Birkbak NJ, Aerts HJWL, Jamal-Hanjani M, Swanton C; TRACERx Consortium. Body composition and lung cancer-associated cachexia in TRACERx. Nat Med. 2023;29(4):846–858. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02232-8
Al-Sawaf O, Zhang C, Jin HY, Robrecht S, Choi Y, Balasubramanian S, Kotak A, Chang YM, Fink AM, Tausch E, Schneider C, Ritgen M, Kreuzer KA, Chyla B, Paulson JN, Pallasch CP, Frenzel LP, Peifer M, Eichhorst B, Stilgenbauer S, Jiang Y, Hallek M, Fischer K. Transcriptomic profiles and 5-year results from the randomized CLL14 study of venetoclax plus obinutuzumab versus chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Nat Commun. 2023;14:2147. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37648-w
Huber H, Tausch E, Schneider C, Edenhofer S, von Tresckow J, Robrecht S, Giza A, Zhang C, Fürstenau M, Dreger P, Ritgen M, Illmer T, Illert AL, Dürig J, Böttcher S, Niemann CU, Kneba M, Al-Sawaf O, Hallek M, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B. Final analysis of the CLL2-GIVe trial: obinutuzumab, ibrutinib, and venetoclax for untreated CLL with del(17p)/TP53mut. Blood. 2023;142(11):961–972. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023020013
Al-Sawaf O, Jen MH, Hess LM, Zhang J, Goebel B, Pagel JM, Abhyankar S, Davids MS, Eyre TA. Pirtobrutinib versus venetoclax in covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor–pretreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a matching-adjusted indirect comparison. Haematologica. 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2023.284150
Langerbeins P, Zhang C, Robrecht S, Cramer P, Fürstenau M, Al-Sawaf O, von Tresckow J, Fink AM, Kreuzer KA, Vehling-Kaiser U, Tausch E, Müller L, Eckart MJ, Schlag R, Freier W, Gaska T, Balser C, Reiser M, Stauch M, Wendtner CM, Fischer K, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. The CLL12 trial: ibrutinib versus placebo in treatment-naïve, early-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2022;139(2):177–187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2021010845
von Tresckow J, Cramer P, Robrecht S, Langerbeins P, Fink AM, Al-Sawaf O, Fürstenau M, Illmer T, Klaproth H, Tausch E, Ritgen M, Fischer K, Wendtner CM, Kreuzer KA, Stilgenbauer S, Böttcher S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. Sequential treatment with bendamustine, obinutuzumab, and ibrutinib in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: final results of the CLL2-BIG trial. Leukemia. 2022;36(8):2125–2128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-022-01629-7
Cramer P, Fürstenau M, Robrecht S, Giza A, Zhang C, Fink AM, Fischer K, Langerbeins P, Al-Sawaf O, Tausch E, Schneider C, Schetelig J, Dreger P, Böttcher S, Kreuzer KA, Schilhabel A, Ritgen M, Brüggemann M, Kneba M, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. Obinutuzumab, acalabrutinib, and venetoclax after optional debulking with bendamustine in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL2-BAAG). Lancet Haematol. 2022;9(10):e745–e755. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3026(22)00211-3
Simon F, Giza A, Robrecht S, Fink AM, Cramer P, von Tresckow J, Fürstenau M, Goede V, Tausch E, Schneider C, Stilgenbauer S, Wendtner CM, Eichhorst B, Fischer K, Hallek M, Al-Sawaf O. Pooled analysis of first-line treatment with targeted agents in patients aged 80 years and older with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma. 2022;63(14):3299–3306. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10428194.2022.2123223
Al-Sawaf O, Robrecht S, Bahlo J, Fink AM, Cramer P, von Tresckow J, Lange E, Kiehl M, Dreyling M, Ritgen M, Dürig J, Tausch E, Schneider C, Stilgenbauer S, Wendtner CM, Fischer K, Goede V, Hallek M, Eichhorst B. Richter transformation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a pooled analysis of German CLL Study Group frontline trials. Leukemia. 2021;35(1):169–176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-020-0797-x
Al-Sawaf O, Gentile B, Devine J, Zhang C, Sail K, Tandon M, Fink AM, Kutsch N, Wendtner CM, Eichhorst B, Hallek M, Fischer K. Health-related quality of life with fixed-duration venetoclax–obinutuzumab for previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Am J Hematol. 2021;96(9):1112–1119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.26260
Al-Sawaf O, Zhang C, Lu T, Liao MZ, Panchal A, Robrecht S, Ching T, Tandon M, Fink AM, Tausch E, Schneider C, Ritgen M, Böttcher S, Kreuzer KA, Chyla B, Miles D, Wendtner CM, Eichhorst B, Stilgenbauer S, Jiang Y, Hallek M, Fischer K. Minimal residual disease dynamics after venetoclax–obinutuzumab treatment: extended off-treatment follow-up from the randomized CLL14 study. J Clin Oncol. 2021;39(36):4049–4060. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.21.01181
Al-Sawaf O, Zhang C, Tandon M, Sinha A, Fink AM, Robrecht S, Samoylova O, Liberati AM, Pinilla-Ibarz J, Opat S, Sivcheva L, Le Dû K, Fogliatto LM, Niemann CU, Weinkove R, Robinson S, Kipps TJ, Tausch E, Schary W, Ritgen M, Wendtner CM, Kreuzer KA, Eichhorst B, Stilgenbauer S, Hallek M, Fischer K. Venetoclax plus obinutuzumab versus chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab for previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL14). Lancet Oncol. 2020;21(9):1188–1200. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30443-5
Fürstenau M, Hopfinger G, Robrecht S, Fink AM, Al-Sawaf O, Langerbeins P, Cramer P, von Tresckow JV, Maurer C, Kutsch N, Hoechstetter M, Dreyling M, Lange E, Kneba M, Stilgenbauer S, Döhner H, Hensel M, Kiehl MG, Jaeger U, Wendtner CM, Goede V, Fischer K, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Eichhorst B, Hallek M, Theurich S. Influence of obesity and gender on treatment outcomes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) undergoing rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy. Leukemia. 2020;34(4):1177–1181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-019-0630-6
Al-Sawaf O, Lilienweiss E, Bahlo J, Robrecht S, Fink AM, Patz M, Tandon M, Jiang Y, Schary W, Ritgen M, Tausch E, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Fischer K, Hallek M, Kreuzer KA. High efficacy of venetoclax plus obinutuzumab in patients with complex karyotype and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2020;135(11):866–870. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2019003451
Al-Sawaf O, Herling CD, Holtick U, Scheid C, Cramer P, Sasse S, von Tresckow B, Tuchscherer A, Fischer K, Eichhorst B, Hallek M, Frenzel LP. Venetoclax plus rituximab or obinutuzumab after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Haematologica. 2019;104(5):e224–e226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2018.212837
Al-Sawaf O, Bazeos A, Robrecht S, Bahlo J, Gower C, Fink AM, von Tresckow J, Cramer P, Langerbeins P, Kutsch N, Humphrey K, Fingerle-Rowson G, Stilgenbauer S, Wendtner CM, Fischer K, Eichhorst B, Hallek M, Goede V. Mode of progression after first-line treatment correlates with outcome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Am J Hematol. 2019;94(9):1002–1006. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.25561
Fink AM, Bahlo J, Robrecht S, Al-Sawaf O, Aldaoud A, Hebart H, Jentsch-Ullrich K, Dörfel S, Fischer K, Wendtner CM, Nösslinger T, Ghia P, Bosch F, Kater AP, Döhner H, Kneba M, Kreuzer KA, Tausch E, Stilgenbauer S, Ritgen M, Böttcher S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. Lenalidomide maintenance after first-line therapy for high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLLM1): final results from a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 study. Lancet Haematol. 2017;4(10):e475–e486. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3026(17)30171-0
Fischer K, Al-Sawaf O, Bahlo J, Fink AM, Tandon M, Dixon M, Robrecht S, Warburton S, Humphrey K, Samoylova O, Liberati AM, Pinilla-Ibarz J, Opat S, Sivcheva L, Le Dû K, Fogliatto LM, Niemann CU, Weinkove R, Robinson S, Kipps TJ, Böttcher S, Tausch E, Humerickhouse R, Eichhorst B, Wendtner CM, Langerak AW, Kreuzer KA, Ritgen M, Goede V, Stilgenbauer S, Mobasher M, Hallek M. Venetoclax and obinutuzumab in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and coexisting conditions. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(23):2225–2236. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1815281
Cramer P, von Tresckow J, Bahlo J, Robrecht S, Langerbeins P, Al-Sawaf O, Engelke A, Fink AM, Fischer K, Tausch E, Seiler T, Fischer von Weikersthal L, Hebart H, Kreuzer KA, Böttcher S, Ritgen M, Kneba M, Wendtner CM, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. Bendamustine followed by obinutuzumab and venetoclax in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL2-BAG). Lancet Oncol. 2018;19(9):1215–1228. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30414-5
Al-Sawaf O, Bahlo J, Robrecht S, Fischer K, Herling CD, Hoechstetter M, Fink AM, von Tresckow J, Langerbeins P, Cramer P, Stilgenbauer S, Wendtner CM, Eichhorst B, Hallek M, Goede V. Outcome of patients aged 80 years or older treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Br J Haematol. 2018;183(5):727–735. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.15604
Al-Sawaf O, Fischer K, Engelke A, Pflug N, Hallek M, Goede V. Obinutuzumab in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: design, development and place in therapy. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:295–304. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S104869
Al-Sawaf O, Cramer P, Goede V, Hallek M, Pflug N. Bendamustine and its role in the treatment of unfit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a perspective review. Ther Adv Hematol. 2017;8(6):197–205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2040620717699365
Al-Sawaf O, Fischer K, Herling CD, Ritgen M, Böttcher S, Bahlo J, Elter T, Stilgenbauer S, Eichhorst BF, Busch R, Elberskirch U, Abenhardt W, Kneba M, Hallek M, Wendtner CM. Alemtuzumab consolidation in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a phase I/II multicentre trial. Eur J Haematol. 2017;98(3):254–262. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ejh.12825
Fischer K, Al-Sawaf O, Fink AM, Dixon M, Bahlo J, Warburton S, Kipps TJ, Weinkove R, Robinson S, Seiler T, Opat S, Owen C, López J, Humphrey K, Humerickhouse R, Tausch E, Frenzel L, Eichhorst B, Wendtner CM, Stilgenbauer S, Langerak AW, van Dongen JJM, Böttcher S, Ritgen M, Goede V, Mobasher M, Hallek M. Venetoclax and obinutuzumab in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2017;129(19):2702–2705. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2017-01-761973
Al-Sawaf O, Fischer K, Eichhorst B, Hallek M. Targeted Therapy of CLL. Oncol Res Treat. 2016;39(12):768–778. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000452786
Al-Sawaf O, Clarner T, Fragoulis A, Kan YW, Pufe T, Streetz K, Wruck CJ. Nrf2 in health and disease: current and future clinical implications. Clin Sci (Lond). 2015;129(12):989–999. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20150436
Al-Sawaf O, Fragoulis A, Rosen C, Kan YW, Sönmez TT, Pufe T, Wruck CJ. Nrf2 protects against TWEAK-mediated skeletal muscle wasting. Sci Rep. 2014;4:3625. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03625
Al-Sawaf O, Fragoulis A, Rosen C, Keimes N, Liehn EA, Hölzle F, Kan YW, Pufe T, Sönmez TT, Wruck CJ. Nrf2 augments skeletal muscle regeneration after ischaemia–reperfusion injury. J Pathol. 2014;234(4):538–547. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/path.4418