Latest news with #LegendBiotech
New York Times
20 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
Corrections: June 6, 2025
Because of an editing error, an obituary on Thursday about the writer Edmund White, who explored gay life in novels and memoirs, misspelled the original surname of his mother. She was born Delilah Teddlie, not Teddie. A picture caption with an article on Thursday about the United States vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate and unconditional cease-fire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the resumption of full-scale humanitarian aid deliveries to the enclave misstated the position of Samuel Zbogar, Slovenia's ambassador to the United Nations. He is not the president of the Security Council, though he formerly held that rotating position. The current president is Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana's U.N. ambassador. An article on Thursday about a Johnson & Johnson clinical trial for patients with multiple myeloma referred imprecisely to the company Legend Biotech. While it was based in China when it developed and released data on its CAR-T immunotherapy, the company is now a U.S. firm headquartered in New Jersey. An article on Thursday about the Tony-nominated play 'Purpose' misstated the year in which the show was staged at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater. It was in 2024, not 2023. An article on Thursday about the film festival Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair, described incorrectly the board of the American Cinematheque. It does not include Ted Sarandos; he left the board in 2021. An obituary on Wednesday about David Cope, a pioneer of algorithmic music compositions, misstated the year he joined the University of California, Santa Cruz. He was hired in 1977, not 1997. Errors are corrected during the press run whenever possible, so some errors noted here may not have appeared in all editions. To contact the newsroom regarding correction requests, please email nytnews@ To share feedback, please visit Comments on opinion articles may be emailed to letters@ For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or email customercare@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Orca Bio Appoints Key Executives Including Steve Gavel as Chief Commercial Officer
MENLO PARK, Calif., June 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orca Bio, a late-stage biotechnology company committed to transforming the lives of patients through high-precision cell therapy, today announced the appointment of senior leaders to support the company as it advances its lead investigational allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, Orca-T®, toward potential commercial launch. Steve Gavel has joined Orca Bio as Chief Commercial Officer after most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Global Cell Therapy Commercial Development at Legend Biotech. Orca Bio has also strengthened its broader commercial organization with the addition of several senior leaders with extensive cell therapy experience to oversee Market Access, Commercial Operations and Medical Affairs. In addition to these key commercial appointments, Allison Frisbee has joined Orca Bio as a Senior Vice President, Legal, following roles at Kronos Bio, Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb, and as outside counsel to life science companies at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe. Steve Gavel - Chief Commercial Officer Gavel brings over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, with deep expertise in the commercialization of cell and gene therapies having led strategy and execution since the earliest days of the field. "We are thrilled to welcome Steve to the Orca Bio team. Steve is a cell therapy veteran with a proven track record of building and scaling organizations in preparation for commercialization," said Nate Fernhoff, Ph.D., Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Orca Bio. "As we prepare for the commercial launch of Orca-T, Steve brings a perfect combination of background, experience and strategic vision to lead Orca Bio into this next phase of growth and maturation." At Legend Biotech, Gavel grew and scaled its commercial organization across multiple CAR-T therapies, including leading the successful global launch of Carvykti®, a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. There he oversaw the global commercial development efforts including launch readiness, market access and commercial operations. Prior to Legend Biotech, Gavel led U.S. commercial strategy and development at Celgene (now Bristol Myers Squibb). Before then, he held commercial roles of increasing seniority at companies including Millennium Pharmaceuticals, IMS Health, West Pharmaceutical Services and Discovery Labs. "I'm honored to join Orca Bio as it prepares to bring its groundbreaking cell therapy to patients with high-risk blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome," said Steve Gavel, Chief Commercial Officer at Orca Bio. "The company's pioneering team has achieved remarkable progress, and with approximately 500 patients treated on trial to date, the potential of its novel high-precision platform is already being realized. I look forward to joining the company as we work to unlock new opportunities for growth and transform the therapeutic landscape for patients with blood cancer." Allison Frisbee - Senior Vice President, Legal Frisbee joins with strong experience as a legal and operations leader in the life science industry, with a focus on translating complex legal and regulatory challenges into clear, strategic solutions. Prior to joining Orca Bio, Frisbee served as the Chief Administrative Officer at Kronos Bio, where she oversaw a broad portfolio including Legal, HR, Facilities, IT and Compliance. Before joining Kronos, she held senior legal roles at Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb. "I'm thrilled to join the team at Orca Bio and help continue shaping a thoughtful, values-driven legal and compliance function," said Allison Frisbee, Senior Vice President, Legal at Orca Bio. "It's a privilege to partner with teams who are not only advancing transformative therapies, but leading with a deep commitment to integrity, accountability and an unwavering commitment to doing what's right for patients." About Orca Bio Orca Bio is a late-stage biotechnology company developing high-precision cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company's manufacturing platform uses single-cell precision to create proprietary, uniquely-defined products designed to replace a patient's diseased blood and immune system with a healthy one. At Orca Bio, we are on a mission to redefine what's possible for patients by transforming the field of curative allogeneic cell therapy. For more information, visit Trademarks or registered trademarks used in this press release are the property of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts Corporate CommunicationsKelsey Grossmanmedia@ Investor RelationsJoshua Murrayir@
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Orca Bio Appoints Key Executives Including Steve Gavel as Chief Commercial Officer
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orca Bio, a late-stage biotechnology company committed to transforming the lives of patients through high-precision cell therapy, today announced the appointment of senior leaders to support the company as it advances its lead investigational allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, Orca-T®, toward potential commercial launch. Steve Gavel has joined Orca Bio as Chief Commercial Officer after most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Global Cell Therapy Commercial Development at Legend Biotech. Orca Bio has also strengthened its broader commercial organization with the addition of several senior leaders with extensive cell therapy experience to oversee Market Access, Commercial Operations and Medical Affairs. In addition to these key commercial appointments, Allison Frisbee has joined Orca Bio as a Senior Vice President, Legal, following roles at Kronos Bio, Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb, and as outside counsel to life science companies at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe. Steve Gavel - Chief Commercial Officer Gavel brings over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, with deep expertise in the commercialization of cell and gene therapies having led strategy and execution since the earliest days of the field. 'We are thrilled to welcome Steve to the Orca Bio team. Steve is a cell therapy veteran with a proven track record of building and scaling organizations in preparation for commercialization,' said Nate Fernhoff, Ph.D., Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Orca Bio. 'As we prepare for the commercial launch of Orca-T, Steve brings a perfect combination of background, experience and strategic vision to lead Orca Bio into this next phase of growth and maturation.' At Legend Biotech, Gavel grew and scaled its commercial organization across multiple CAR-T therapies, including leading the successful global launch of Carvykti®, a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. There he oversaw the global commercial development efforts including launch readiness, market access and commercial operations. Prior to Legend Biotech, Gavel led U.S. commercial strategy and development at Celgene (now Bristol Myers Squibb). Before then, he held commercial roles of increasing seniority at companies including Millennium Pharmaceuticals, IMS Health, West Pharmaceutical Services and Discovery Labs. 'I'm honored to join Orca Bio as it prepares to bring its groundbreaking cell therapy to patients with high-risk blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome,' said Steve Gavel, Chief Commercial Officer at Orca Bio. 'The company's pioneering team has achieved remarkable progress, and with approximately 500 patients treated on trial to date, the potential of its novel high-precision platform is already being realized. I look forward to joining the company as we work to unlock new opportunities for growth and transform the therapeutic landscape for patients with blood cancer.' Allison Frisbee - Senior Vice President, Legal Frisbee joins with strong experience as a legal and operations leader in the life science industry, with a focus on translating complex legal and regulatory challenges into clear, strategic solutions. Prior to joining Orca Bio, Frisbee served as the Chief Administrative Officer at Kronos Bio, where she oversaw a broad portfolio including Legal, HR, Facilities, IT and Compliance. Before joining Kronos, she held senior legal roles at Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Bristol Myers Squibb. 'I'm thrilled to join the team at Orca Bio and help continue shaping a thoughtful, values-driven legal and compliance function,' said Allison Frisbee, Senior Vice President, Legal at Orca Bio. 'It's a privilege to partner with teams who are not only advancing transformative therapies, but leading with a deep commitment to integrity, accountability and an unwavering commitment to doing what's right for patients.' About Orca Bio Orca Bio is a late-stage biotechnology company developing high-precision cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company's manufacturing platform uses single-cell precision to create proprietary, uniquely-defined products designed to replace a patient's diseased blood and immune system with a healthy one. At Orca Bio, we are on a mission to redefine what's possible for patients by transforming the field of curative allogeneic cell therapy. For more information, visit Trademarks or registered trademarks used in this press release are the property of their respective owners.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
From no hope to a potential cure for a deadly blood cancer
The immunotherapy developed by Legend Biotech, a company founded in China, seems to have made their cancer disappear. PHOTO: UNSPLASH From no hope to a potential cure for a deadly blood cancer NEW YORK - A group of 97 patients had long-standing multiple myeloma, a common blood cancer that doctors consider incurable, and faced a certain, and extremely painful, death within about a year. They had gone through a series of treatments, each of which controlled their disease for a while. But then it came back, as it always does. They reached the stage where they had no more options and were facing hospice. They all got immunotherapy, in a study that was a last-ditch effort. A third responded so well that they got what seems to be an astonishing reprieve. The immunotherapy developed by Legend Biotech, a company founded in China, seems to have made their cancer disappear. And after five years, it still has not returned in those patients – a result never before seen in this disease. These results, in patients whose situation had seemed hopeless, has led some battle-worn American oncologists to dare to say the words 'potential cure.' 'In my 30 years in oncology, we haven't talked about curing myeloma,' said Dr Norman Sharpless, a former director of the National Cancer Institute who is now a professor of cancer policy and innovation at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. 'This is the first time we are really talking seriously about cure in one of the worst malignancies imaginable.' The new study, reported on June 3 at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, was funded by Johnson & Johnson, which has an exclusive licensing agreement with Legend Biotech. The 36,000 Americans who develop multiple myeloma each year face an illness that eats away at bones, so it looks as if holes have been punched out in them, said Dr Carl June, of the University of Pennsylvania. Bones collapse. Dr June has seen patients who lost 6 inches (15.24cm) in height. 'It's a horrible, horrible death,' Dr June said. 'Right now advanced myeloma is a death sentence.' (Dr June has immunotherapy patents that are owned by his university.) There have been treatment advances that increased median survival from two years to 10 over the past two decades. But no cures. Dr Peter Voorhees of the Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in North Carolina and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who is lead researcher for the newly published study, said patients usually go through treatment after treatment until, ultimately, the cancer prevails, developing resistance to every class of drug. They end up with nothing left to try. The Legend immunotherapy is a type known as CAR-T. It is delivered as an infusion of the patient's own white blood cells that have been removed and engineered to attack the cancer. The treatment has revolutionised prospects for patients with other types of blood cancer, like leukaemia. Making CAR-T cells, though, is an art, with so many possible variables that it can be hard to hit on one that works. And it can have severe side effects including a high fever, trouble breathing and infections. Patients can be hospitalised for weeks after receiving it. But Legend managed to develop one that works in multiple myeloma, defying sceptics. The Chinese company gained attention for its CAR-T eight years ago when it made extravagant claims, which were met by snickers from American researchers. Johnson & Johnson, though, was looking for a CAR-T to call its own. So, said Mr Mark Wildgust, an executive in the oncology section of the American drug giant, the company sent scientists and physicians to China to see if the claims were true. 'We went site by site to look at the results,' he said. The company was convinced. It initiated a collaboration with Legend and began testing the treatment in patients whose myeloma had overcome at least one standard treatment. Compared with patients who had standard treatment, those who had the immunotherapy lived longer without their disease progressing. The immunotherapy received regulatory approval in that limited setting and is sold under the brand name Carvykti. The study did not determine whether this difficult treatment saved lives. The new study took on a different challenge – helping patients at the end of the line after years of treatments. Their immune systems were worn down. They were, as oncologists said, 'heavily pretreated.' So even though CAR-T is designed to spur their immune systems to fight their cancer, it was not clear their immune systems were up to it. Oncologists say that even though most patients did not clear their cancer, having a third who did was remarkable. To see what the expected life span would be for these patients without the immunotherapy, Johnson & Johnson looked at data from patients in a registry who were like the ones in its study – they had failed every treatment. They lived about a year. For Ms Anne Stovell of New York, one of the study patients whose cancer disappeared, the result is almost too good to be true. She says she went through nine drugs to control her cancer after it was diagnosed in 2010, some of which had horrendous side effects. Each eventually failed. Taking the Legend CAR-T was difficult – she said she had spent nearly three weeks in the hospital. But since that treatment six years ago, she has no sign of cancer. She said it was still difficult for her to believe her myeloma is gone. A new ache – or an old one – can bring on the fear. 'There's that little seed of doubt,' she said. But in test after test, the cancer has not reappeared. 'It's a relief for me every year to get a bone marrow biopsy,' she said. Myeloma experts applauded the results. Like treatments for many other cancers, treatments for multiple myeloma come with a high price. The drugs are 'hideously expensive,' Dr June said, costing more than US$100,000 (S$129,143) a year. The total cost over the years can be millions of dollars, Dr June said, usually paid by insurers, 'and it doesn't even cure you.' CAR-T is expensive too. Carvykti's list price is US$555,310. But it is a one-time treatment. And, more important, the hope is that perhaps by giving it earlier in the course of the disease, it could cure patients early on. Johnson & Johnson is now testing that idea. Dr Kenneth Anderson, a myeloma expert at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who was not involved with the study, said that if the treatment is used as a first-line treatment, 'cure is now our realistic expectation.' That, at least, is the hope, Dr Sharpless said. And for those like the patients in the new study who are living at least five years – so far – without disease, the outcome 'really is eye-popping,' Dr Sharpless said. 'That's getting to a point where you wonder if it will ever come back,' he added. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
From no hope to a potential cure for a deadly blood cancer
A third responded so well that they got what seems to be an astonishing reprieve. The immunotherapy developed by Legend Biotech, a company founded in China, seems to have made their cancer disappear. And after five years, it still has not returned in those patients -- a result never before seen in this disease. Advertisement These results, in patients whose situation had seemed hopeless, has led some battle-worn American oncologists to dare to say the words 'potential cure.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'In my 30 years in oncology, we haven't talked about curing myeloma,' said Dr. Norman Sharpless, a former director of the National Cancer Institute who is now a professor of cancer policy and innovation at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. 'This is the first time we are really talking seriously about cure in one of the worst malignancies imaginable.' The new study, reported Tuesday at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, was funded by Johnson & Johnson, which has an exclusive licensing agreement with Legend Biotech. The 36,000 Americans who develop multiple myeloma each year face an illness that eats away at bones, so it looks as if holes have been punched out in them, said Dr. Carl June, of the University of Pennsylvania. Bones collapse. June has seen patients who lost 6 inches in height. Advertisement 'It's a horrible, horrible death,' June said. 'Right now advanced myeloma is a death sentence.' (June has immunotherapy patents that are owned by his university.) There have been treatment advances that increased median survival from two years to 10 over the past two decades. But no cures. Dr. Peter Voorhees of the Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute in North Carolina and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who is lead researcher for the newly published study, said patients usually go through treatment after treatment until, ultimately, the cancer prevails, developing resistance to every class of drug. They end up with nothing left to try. The Legend immunotherapy is a type known as CAR-T. It is delivered as an infusion of the patient's own white blood cells that have been removed and engineered to attack the cancer. The treatment has revolutionized prospects for patients with other types of blood cancer, like leukemia. Making CAR-T cells, though, is an art, with so many possible variables that it can be hard to hit on one that works. And it can have severe side effects including a high fever, trouble breathing and infections. Patients can be hospitalized for weeks after receiving it. But Legend managed to develop one that works in multiple myeloma, defying skeptics. The Chinese company gained attention for its CAR-T eight years ago when it made extravagant claims, which were met by snickers from American researchers. Advertisement Johnson & Johnson, though, was looking for a CAR-T to call its own. So, said Mark Wildgust, an executive in the oncology section of the American drug giant, the company sent scientists and physicians to China to see if the claims were true. 'We went site by site to look at the results,' he said. The company was convinced. It initiated a collaboration with Legend and began testing the treatment in patients whose myeloma had overcome at least one standard treatment. Compared with patients who had standard treatment, those who had the immunotherapy lived longer without their disease progressing. The immunotherapy received regulatory approval in that limited setting and is sold under the brand name Carvykti. The study did not determine whether this difficult treatment saved lives. The new study took on a different challenge -- helping patients at the end of the line after years of treatments. Their immune systems were worn down. They were, as oncologists said, 'heavily pretreated.' So even though CAR-T is designed to spur their immune systems to fight their cancer, it was not clear their immune systems were up to it. Oncologists say that even though most patients did not clear their cancer, having a third who did was remarkable. To see what the expected life span would be for these patients without the immunotherapy, Johnson & Johnson looked at data from patients in a registry who were like the ones in its study -- they had failed every treatment. They lived about a year. For Anne Stovell of New York, one of the study patients whose cancer disappeared, the result is almost too good to be true. She says she went through nine drugs to control her cancer after it was diagnosed in 2010, some of which had horrendous side effects. Each eventually failed. Advertisement Taking the Legend CAR-T was difficult -- she said she had spent nearly three weeks in the hospital. But since that treatment six years ago, she has no sign of cancer. She said it was still difficult for her to believe her myeloma is gone. A new ache -- or an old one -- can bring on the fear. 'There's that little seed of doubt,' she said. But in test after test, the cancer has not reappeared. 'It's a relief for me every year to get a bone marrow biopsy,' she said. Myeloma experts applauded the results. Like treatments for many other cancers, treatments for multiple myeloma come with a high price. The drugs are 'hideously expensive,' June said, costing more than $100,000 a year. The total cost over the years can be millions of dollars, June said, usually paid by insurers, 'and it doesn't even cure you.' CAR-T is expensive too. Carvykti's list price is $555,310. But it is a one-time treatment. And, more important, the hope is that perhaps by giving it earlier in the course of the disease, it could cure patients early on. Johnson & Johnson is now testing that idea. Dr. Kenneth Anderson, a myeloma expert at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who was not involved with the study, said that if the treatment is used as a first-line treatment, 'cure is now our realistic expectation.' That, at least, is the hope, Sharpless said. And for those like the patients in the new study who are living at least five years -- so far -- without disease, the outcome 'really is eye-popping,' Sharpless said. Advertisement 'That's getting to a point where you wonder if it will ever come back,' he added. This article originally appeared in
