About this trial
CLLRT2 is a study looking at two newer treatments, pirtobrutinib and epcoritamab, which work differently from standard chemotherapy. Pirtobrutinib is a targeted medicine that blocks a protein (BTK) used by cancer cells to grow and survive. Epcoritamab is an antibody designed to help the immune system recognise and attack lymphoma cells. Together, these medicines aim to control Richter Transformation — an aggressive lymphoma that can develop in people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia — by directly targeting cancer cells and boosting the body’s own defences. The trial compares this combination with R‑CHOP or R‑mini‑CHOP, the current standard chemotherapy, which is effective but can be difficult for some patients to tolerate.
The purpose of the study is to find out whether pirtobrutinib plus epcoritamab can improve outcomes for people who have just been diagnosed with Richter Transformation and have not yet received treatment for it. The trial will look at how well each treatment controls the disease, how long patients stay well, and how safe each approach is. Patients who join the study will be randomly assigned to receive either standard chemotherapy or the newer combination treatment, and will continue as long as their cancer is not getting worse and side effects remain manageable.
Patient Profile
The trial is for adults who already have chronic lymphocytic leukemia and have recently developed Richter Transformation, the aggressive lymphoma that can arise from CLL. These patients haven’t yet received treatment for the transformation and are well enough to undergo either standard chemotherapy or the newer targeted and immune‑based treatments being studied.
Where’s this trial being run?
Beaumont Hospital and University Hospital Galway
Can I join this study / trial?
The first step we recommend is to talk to your doctor or the cancer trials team at your hospital. You can find contact details for cancer trials research units in Ireland here.
It’s also a good idea to print this page and bring it with you to your appointment. It can help guide the conversation and remind you of what to ask. You may also want to talk to your family or friends about your options, as they can offer support as you make decisions.
For more detailed information
Click HereQuestions?
Here’s a list of questions you may have for your doctor or local cancer research team.
QuestionsSummary Data
| Name: | CLLRT2 |
|---|---|
| Number: | 24-44 |
| Full Title: | A prospective, open-label, randomized, multicenter phase-III trial to evaluate the efficacy of pirtobrutinib and epcoritamab compared with R-(mini)-CHOP for treatment of patients with Richter Transformation |
| Principal Investigator: | Prof Patrick Thornton |
|---|---|
| Type: | Collaborative |
| Sponsor: | DCLLSG |
| Recruitment Started: |
Global: June 2026 Ireland: August 2026 |
| Global Recruitment Target: | 116 |
|---|---|
| Ireland Recruitment Target: | 8 |