• Company Developed TurboCAR™ Technology Allows Cytokine Activation Signaling to be Engineered Selectively into CAR T Cells
  
• Preclinical Studies Provide Evidence That Cytokine Signaling Can Increase TurboCAR T Cell Activity While Avoiding Safety Risks of Exogenous Cytokine Administration

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALLO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell (AlloCAR T™) therapies for cancer, today announced that preclinical data on its TurboCAR™ technology will be presented in a poster session at the virtual American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 23^rd Annual Meeting on May 12, 2020. 

Allogene’s internally developed TurboCAR technology allows cytokine activation signaling to be engineered selectively into CAR T cells. When applied to AlloCAR T therapies, TurboCAR has the potential to improve efficacy, overcome the potential for exhaustion, and reduce cell dose requirements. TurboCARs can be tailored with signaling domains from different cytokine receptors to enhance T cell activation and persistence. Results from the preclinical study demonstrated that this approach minimizes potential safety risks associated with exogenous cytokine administration since cytokine signaling activity is directed selectively to the engineered CAR T cells.

“Allogene is continually looking to develop innovative and impactful technologies capable of advancing the field of allogeneic cell therapy. We are very excited about the potential for TurboCAR technology to enhance the potency of engineered CAR T cells directed at hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. We look forward to continuing to advance this technology, starting with our first TurboCAR candidate, ALLO-605, a BCMA-directed AlloCAR T therapy for multiple myeloma. We anticipate filing an IND for ALLO-605 in 2021,” said Barbra Sasu, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Allogene.

In this research, TurboCARs mimicking signaling from multiple cytokines were generated, and using an EGFRvIII tool CAR, were screened and selected based on CAR T cell manufacturability and in vitro serial killing activity. A range of functional assays demonstrated improvements in activity for TurboCAR T cells as compared to parental CAR T cells.

The ASGCT abstracts are now available at https://annualmeeting.asgct.org/am20/. Details are noted below.

Abstract #336
Title: TurboCAR™ T Cells: CAR T Cells with Constitutive, Programmable Cytokine Signaling Outputs
Virtual Poster Session Date & Time: Tuesday, May 12, 2020 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET

Allogene’s AlloCAR T programs utilize Cellectis technology. The EGFRvIII AlloCAR T program is licensed exclusively from Cellectis by Allogene. Allogene holds exclusive U.S. rights and has granted to Servier¹ rights to EGFRvIII product candidates for all other countries. The BCMA AlloCAR T program is licensed exclusively from Cellectis and Allogene holds global development and commercial rights to this AlloCAR T program.

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™) therapies for cancer. Led by a world-class management team with significant experience in cell therapy, Allogene is developing a pipeline of “off-the-shelf” CAR T cell therapy 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 @AllogeneTx on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The press release may, in some cases, use terms such as "predicts," "believes," "potential," "proposed," "continue," "estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "may," "could," "might," "will," "should" or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: the ability for TurboCARs to avoid safety risks, improve efficacy, overcome exhaustion or reduce cell dose requirements, the ability to manufacture TurboCARs, the timing and ability to submit an investigational new drug (IND) application and initiate a clinical trial for ALLO-605, the ability to develop allogeneic CAR T therapies for cancer and the potential benefits of AlloCAR T therapy. Various factors may cause differences between Allogene’s expectations and actual results as discussed in greater detail in Allogene’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including without limitation in its Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 27, 2020, and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Any forward-looking statements that are made in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Allogene assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

AlloCAR T™ and TurboCAR T™ are trademarks of Allogene Therapeutics, Inc.

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¹Servier is an independent international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes).

Allogene Media/Investor Contact:
Christine Cassiano
Chief Communications Officer
(714) 552-0326
Christine.Cassiano@allogene.com

Source: Allogene Therapeutics, Inc.