J&J, Legend to invest $150M in Belgium cell therapy facility as new Carvykti rival looms.

Legend Biotech Corporation (LEGN) is developing a promising CAR-T cancer drug in partnership with Johnson & Johnson.

Legend Biotech Corporation on Tuesday said it appointed Alan Bash as president of its CAR-T product CARVYKTI®. In this newly created role, Bash will be responsible for managing the continued growth of CARVYKTI®, overseeing the Somerset-based firm’s commercial, technical operations, and quality functions of the franchise.“This expansion in our leadership structure is on the heels of CARVYKTI’s recent successes, including recent approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Commission for label expansion,” Ying Huang, chief executive officer of Legend Biotech said. “Legend Biotech welcomes Alan and is confident that his wealth of operational knowledge in oncology will help further strengthen the Company’s leadership role in the treatment of multiple myeloma.”Previously, Bash served as chief executive officer for two oncology-focused biotech companies, most recently at ZielBio, and before that, as president and CEO at Checkmate Pharmaceuticals. He also had a 23-year career with Bristol Myers Squibb, where he held various leadership positions across all major therapeutic areas—including oncology—driving the U.S. launch of Opdivo® and the expansion of additional cancer treatments such as Yervoy® and Erbitux ®.Bash contributed to several blockbuster products in collaboration with other companies, including Abilify® with Otsuka and Eliquis® with Pfizer.“As the fastest launched CAR-T product on the market, CARVYKTI has already produced impressive momentum,” Bash said