AbbVie

New Capabilities

Co-manufacturer of venetoclax (Venclexta); submitted the supplemental new drug application

For decades, patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia—the most common adult leukemia in Western countries, affecting roughly 23,000 Americans each year—faced a difficult choice: endure rounds of intravenous chemotherapy with harsh side effects, or take targeted pills indefinitely, sometimes for life. On February 20, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a combination of two oral drugs, venetoclax and acalabrutinib, that eliminates both burdens. Patients take pills for roughly one year, then stop. In a trial of 867 patients, 77% remained cancer-free at three years.

Updated Feb 20