• ALLO-605 Demonstrated Enhanced Killing of Multiple Myeloma Cells and Persistence Relative to BCMA CAR T
  
• TurboCAR Technology Represents a Key Component to the Company’s Three-Pronged Clinical Strategy Targeting BCMA for Multiple Myeloma
• Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for ALLO-605 Expected in the First Half of 2021
  

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALLO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of allogeneic CAR T (AlloCAR T™) therapies for cancer, today announced preclinical findings of ALLO-605, the Company’s first TurboCAR™ clinical candidate and next-generation AlloCAR T therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, will be presented in a poster session today at the 62^nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

Allogene developed the TurboCAR technology to further enhance the potency of cell therapies. This technology allows ligand independent, cytokine signaling to be engineered selectively into CAR T cells. TurboCARs have the potential to enhance AlloCAR T cell proliferation and overcome T cell exhaustion. The technology is being deployed initially as part of the Company’s three-pronged approach to targeting BCMA in patients with multiple myeloma. Results from the preclinical studies demonstrated that ALLO-605 showed enhanced cytokine secretion, polyfunctionality, improved serial killing activity in vitro, and enhanced eradication of tumors in animal models of myeloma.

“Allogene continues to innovate across our AlloCAR T platform with next generation technologies that can be applied to multiple programs,” said Rafael Amado, M.D., Executive Vice President of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer of Allogene. “The advances with TurboCAR not only support our approach to targeting BCMA, but also allow us to potentially enhance the activity of other AlloCAR T candidates. We are eager to bring ALLO-605 into the clinic and anticipate filing our first IND utilizing this novel technology in the first half of 2021.”

In a highly aggressive orthotopic mouse model of multiple myeloma, ALLO-605 demonstrated an increase in peak expansion and persistence compared to standard BCMA CAR T cells, resulting in rapid and durable antitumor responses. No bone marrow or extramedullary relapses were seen in mice treated with ALLO-605 which resulted in increased survival. The expansion and persistence of ALLO-605 was dependent upon BCMA expression on the target cells and there was no evidence of TurboCAR T cell expansion in the absence of target engagement.

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 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: timing and ability to file an IND and initiate a clinical trial of ALLO-605; ability to manufacture ALLO-605; ability of TurboCAR™ to improve any efficacy, overcome cell exhaustion and reduce dosing requirements; 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 SEC, including without limitation in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. 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™ are trademarks of Allogene Therapeutics, Inc.

ALLO-605 utilizes TALEN® gene-editing technology pioneered and owned by Cellectis. Allogene has an exclusive license to the Cellectis technology for allogeneic products directed at BCMA and holds all global development and commercial rights for this investigational candidate.

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

Source: Allogene Therapeutics, Inc.