Researchers at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, have conducted a head-to-head comparison of rituximab and obinutuzumab (GA101). The study assigned 781 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (average age 73 years) to three treatment arms: in the first arm patients received GA101 in combination with the standard chemotherapy chlorambucil (Clb; GClb, n = 333), in the second arm patients received rituximab and Clb (RClb, n = 330), and Clb alone in the third group (n = 118). Patients in the GClb group experienced prolonged median progression-free survival (26.7 months) compared with the RClb arm (15.2 months) and higher overall response rate (78% versus 65%) with acceptable toxicity.