Allogene Therapeutics Announces Planned CEO Succession
- David Chang, M.D., Ph.D., to Transition from President and Chief Executive Officer Following Eight Years of Outstanding Leadership and Continue to Serve on the Board of Directors
- Zachary Roberts, M.D., Ph.D., EVP, Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer, Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and to the Board of Directors Effective July 1, 2026
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALLO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of allogeneic CAR T (AlloCAR T) products for cancer and autoimmune disease, today announced that Dr. David Chang, M.D., Ph.D., will transition from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 30, 2026, following eight years of leadership that established Allogene as a leader in the development of off-the-shelf cell therapies. Dr. Chang will continue to serve on the Company's Board of Directors.
The Company's Board of Directors has unanimously elected Zachary Roberts, M.D., Ph.D., currently Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer, to succeed Dr. Chang as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. He will also be appointed to the Board of Directors effective the same date. Since his appointment in January 2023, Dr. Roberts has reshaped Allogene's clinical development strategy, driving advances across the Company's pipeline, including the design and execution of the Company's pivotal ALPHA3 trial in first line (1L) consolidation large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL).
Dr. Chang, one of Allogene's founders, has played a central role in establishing the Company as a leader in allogeneic CAR T. Under his leadership, Allogene advanced the first allogeneic CAR T product to demonstrate efficacy and durability comparable to autologous CAR T therapies and built the infrastructure required to scale the platform, including dedicated manufacturing capabilities. He also helped expand the Company's scientific platform through next-generation innovations, including development of the Dagger® technology platform designed to address lymphodepletion challenges and novel allogeneic CAR T approaches for autoimmune disease. During his tenure, Allogene sharpened its focus on the differentiated advantages of allogeneic CAR T, including speed, scalability, simplified delivery, and the potential for broader patient access.
"It has been an honor to serve as Allogene's CEO for the past eight years," said Dr. Chang. "As we enter the Company's next phase, now is the right time for a leadership transition, and Zach is the right person to lead Allogene forward. He is a deeply respected physician-scientist and energizing leader with a clear vision for how emerging technologies can continue to expand the potential of allogeneic CAR T."
"On behalf of the Board, I want to thank David for his outstanding leadership and contributions to Allogene," said Arie Belldegrun, M.D., Co-Founder and Executive Chairman. "David has played a defining role in advancing the field of allogeneic CAR T and positioning the Company for its next phase of growth. We are fortunate he will continue contributing his experience and perspective as a member of the Board."
"Today's announcement reflects a thoughtful succession planning process," continued Dr. Belldegrun. "The Board has been consistently impressed by Zach's leadership, his ability to advance innovative clinical programs with transformative potential, and the strength of the organization he has helped build. He combines strategic vision with deep scientific and clinical expertise, strong cross-functional leadership, operational discipline, and the ability to motivate teams around a shared mission. Zach is highly respected across the Company and throughout the field, and we are confident that as CEO, he will continue to drive innovation and advance Allogene's leadership position in allogeneic CAR T."
Dr. Roberts is a physician-scientist and biotechnology executive with more than a decade of leadership experience specifically in CAR T development. Since joining Allogene in 2023, he has led the Company's research and development organization, helping shape its clinical and scientific strategy during a pivotal period for the field. Under his leadership, Allogene advanced innovative clinical programs designed to expand the reach of allogeneic CAR T into earlier lines of therapy and new disease settings, including the pivotal ALPHA3 trial in first-line LBCL, which recently reported positive interim futility analysis results. Dr. Roberts has also helped advance Allogene's efforts into solid tumors and autoimmune disease. Prior to joining Allogene, Dr. Roberts held leadership roles at Instil Bio and Kite Pharma, where he contributed to the development of pioneering CAR T therapies that helped establish the field.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Roberts stated: "It is an immense privilege to be named the next CEO of Allogene, and I am grateful for the confidence that David, Arie, and the Board of Directors have placed in me. I also want to thank David for his leadership, partnership, and mentorship over the years. We are at a defining moment for both Allogene and the broader field of cell therapy where the unique advantages of allogeneic CAR T are becoming increasingly important. I look forward to working alongside our talented team to continue advancing innovative therapies for patients, expanding the boundaries of what cell therapy can achieve, and building on the strong foundation that David and our founders established."
About Allogene Therapeutics
Allogene Therapeutics, with headquarters in South San Francisco, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell (AlloCAR T) products for cancer and autoimmune disease. Led by cell therapy veterans applying proven CAR T experience, Allogene is developing a pipeline of off-the-shelf CAR T cell product candidates with the goal of delivering readily available cell therapy on-demand, more reliably, and at greater scale to more patients. For more information, please visit www.allogene.com, and follow Allogene Therapeutics on X and LinkedIn.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expect," "believe," "aim," "plan," "intend," "seek," "estimate," "target," "potential," "may," "could," "will," "would," "should," "anticipate," "support," "designed to," "working to" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing, design, conduct, and results of Allogene's clinical trials and analyses; the potential clinical benefits, safety, tolerability, durability, and efficacy of Allogene's product candidates; and expectations regarding clinical trial execution and operational performance. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties inherent in clinical development (including that interim or early data may not be predictive of later or final results or clinical outcomes), patient enrollment and trial execution risks, uncertainties related to MRD testing and its clinical significance, the occurrence of adverse safety events, regulatory risks and uncertainties, manufacturing and CMC risks, reliance on third parties and licensors, competitive developments, intellectual property and contractual risks, and financial risks, including the need for additional capital. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Allogene's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading "Risk Factors" in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. All forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and Allogene undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
Dagger® is a trademark of Allogene Therapeutics, Inc.
Allogene's investigational AlloCAR T oncology products utilize Cellectis technologies. Cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (cema-cel) was developed based on an exclusive license granted by Cellectis to Servier. Servier has granted Allogene exclusive rights to cema-cel in the U.S., all EU Member States and the United Kingdom. The anti-CD70 AlloCAR T program is licensed exclusively from Cellectis by Allogene and Allogene holds global development and commercial rights to this AlloCAR T program. ALLO-329 (CD19/CD70) in autoimmune disease uses CRISPR gene-editing technology.
Allogene Media/Investor Contact:
Christine Cassiano
EVP, Chief Corporate Affairs & Brand Strategy Officer
Christine.Cassiano@allogene.com
