Rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been approved for the treatment of various non-Hodgkin lymphomas for years. Recently two phase III trials assessed the benefit of adding rituximab to common chemotherapy regimens for the first- and second-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Although both trials showed a significantly increased complete remission rate and progression-free survival in the intervention compared to the control group, there was no difference in overall survival between the two groups. Because rituximab is an add-on to existing treatment regimens and CLL is on the rise in Austria due to an ageing population, the financial impact of adding rituximab will be substantial.