Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a common type of leukaemia with a variable clinical course. Effective targeted therapies for CLL in first-line and in relapsed or refractory disease include covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi), such as ibrutinib, acalabrutinib, and zanubrutinib; B cell leukaemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL2) inhibitors, such as venetoclax; and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, such as obinutuzumab. Despite these treatments, the management of patients with CLL remains challenging. For this article, EMJ conducted an interview in January 2025 with expert Talha Munir from the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK, to raise awareness of CLL and discuss the highlights from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition held in December 2024. Munir, who has a wealth of experience and expertise in the clinical management of CLL, provided valuable insights on the interim analysis results from the AMPLIFY study with acalabrutinib–venetoclax ± obinutuzumab (AV/AVO) versus fludarabine–cyclophosphamide–rituximab (FCR) or bendamustine–rituximab (BR); data at a median follow-up of 5 years from the SEQUOIA study with zanubrutinib versus BR; and updated data from the BRUIN CLL-321 study with the non-covalent BTKi, pirtobrutinib versus idelaslisib (a phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor)–rituximab (IdelaR) or BR. Also explored were the implications and importance of BTK mutations in CLL, as well as emerging results for the BTK degraders, NX-5948 and BGB-16673, and the bispecific antibody, epcoritamab. The use of continuous therapy and fixed-duration therapy in clinical practice was also described. Finally, Munir outlined potential future developments in the CLL space, including the possibility of individualised therapy.

IN RECENT YEARS, significant improvements have been achieved in the management of children and adults with either Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive or negative acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The most important have been the incorporation of immunotherapy in newly diagnosed patients and the incorporation of new monoclonal antibodies and CAR-T constructs in the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) patients. In Ph-positive ALL, new tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are being incorporated in first-line treatment, and the role of haematopoietic transplantation is being redefined. On the other hand, advances in T-ALL are still modest, the most promising being the CAR-T use in R/R patients.

SINGLE clinical trial endpoints often fall short in capturing the full scope of patient experience, particularly in complex conditions like sickle cell disease and haematologic malignancies. A European Hematology Association (EHA)-Patient Joint Symposium presented at the EHA2025 Congress, held in Milan, Italy, created space for multistakeholder discussions on topics with policy and regulatory implications. These topics are valuable to, and chosen by, patients. This particular session brought together perspectives from patient advocates, clinicians, regulators, industry, and health technology assessment (HTA) bodies to examine the limitations of single endpoints and explore how integrating patient-reported outcomes (PRO), demographic-specific measures, and multiple sources, including real-world data, can lead to more comprehensive and informative patient-centred evaluation frameworks.

Rituximab, a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody, has proven to be an excellent therapeutic agent for haematological diseases. Low-dose rituximab (LDR; 100 mg weekly for 4 weeks) has emerged as a promising alternative to the standard dosing (375 mg/m²) for autoimmune haematological disorders, offering comparable efficacy with reduced adverse events and costs. In this review, the authors examine LDR’s role in immune thrombocytopenia, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) in the adult population. For immune thrombocytopenia, studies demonstrate that LDR achieves high overall response rates in both patients with relapsed/refractory disease and those who are newly diagnosed, confirming its non-inferiority to standard dosing. Combination therapies including thrombopoietin agonists further enhance efficacy. Single-dose rituximab shows comparable efficacy to LDR, but reduces indirect costs derived from hospital visits. In thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, LDR combined with plasma exchange plus steroids reduces relapse rates, in-hospital stays, and procedures, though prospective data remains limited. For AIHA, LDR combined with steroids or other agents (such as the immunomodulatory drug, bortezomib) induces high response rates, particularly in warm AIHA. Overall, LDR exhibits favourable safety (with minimal infectious complications) and cost-effectiveness across these disorders. While current evidence supports LDR as a front-line or salvage therapy, further research is needed to optimise dosing, identify ideal candidates, and validate combination strategies in randomised trials.

THE 30th EUROPEAN Hematology Association (EHA) Congress marked a pivotal year in advancing the treatment and understanding of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Breakthroughs in novel therapies, disease biology, and molecular risk stratification highlighted EHA 2025 Congress as a key event shaping the future of MPN care. Herein are the main takeaways from pivotal presentations.

THE 30ᵗʰ EUROPEAN Hematology Association (EHA) Congress was held in the beautiful city of Milan, Italy from the 12ᵗʰ–15ᵗʰ of June 2025. The theme for this year’s Congress was “Borderless Hematology”, highlighting the importance of providing high-quality care to all haematology patients. As members of the society emphasised, the word ‘borderless’ suggests limitless possibilities, encouraging us to envision a world where knowledge and access to treatment is shared regardless of physical or geographical constraints.