The combination of rituximab, gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (R-GEMOX) is an effective salvage regimen for patients with relapsing or refractory DLBCL, with a favourable toxicity profile for unfit and/or elderly patients. Ibrutinib, an oral Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is a potent killer of ABC DLBCL cell lines in vitro and in xenografts.