Allogene Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: ALLO) announced that David Chang will step down as president and chief executive officer effective June 30, 2026, after eight years in the role. Chang will continue serving on the company's board of directors.

The board unanimously elected Zachary Roberts, currently executive vice president of research and development and chief medical officer, to succeed Chang as president and CEO effective July 1, 2026. Roberts will also join the board of directors on the same date.

Chang, one of Allogene's founders, led the South San Francisco-based clinical-stage biotechnology company as it developed allogeneic CAR T products for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Under his leadership, the company advanced what it describes as the first allogeneic CAR T product to demonstrate efficacy and durability comparable to autologous CAR T therapies.

Roberts joined Allogene in January 2023 and has led the company's clinical development strategy. He oversaw the design and execution of the company's pivotal ALPHA3 trial in first-line consolidation large B-cell lymphoma. The trial recently reported positive interim futility analysis results, according to the company.

"As we enter the Company's next phase, now is the right time for a leadership transition," Chang stated in the announcement.

Roberts previously held leadership roles at Instil Bio and Kite Pharma, where he worked on CAR T therapy development. He brings more than a decade of experience in CAR T development to his new role.

Arie Belldegrun, co-founder and executive chairman, said the succession reflects a planned process and praised Roberts' leadership of clinical programs and cross-functional teams.

The leadership transition comes as Allogene continues developing its pipeline of off-the-shelf CAR T cell product candidates for cancer and autoimmune diseases.