On December 18, 2019 Xencor, Inc. (NASDAQ: XNCR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergic diseases, reported the appointment of Allen Yang, M.D., Ph.D., as senior vice president and chief medical officer (Press release, Xencor, DEC 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234552481]). He will be responsible for leading clinical development strategy and overseeing clinical operations for Xencor’s portfolio of XmAb antibody drug candidates, including bispecific antibodies and cytokines. Dr. Yang joins Xencor from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, where he served as senior vice president, head of clinical development and acting chief medical officer.
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"We are delighted to welcome Allen to Xencor. He joins our team with a strong record of successful drug development in oncology, including T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies, and a wealth of experience in translational research and as a practicing oncologist. As our bispecific oncology pipeline matures and as we continue to explore novel target combinations in the clinic, Xencor will benefit immensely from Allen’s leadership and expertise," said Bassil Dahiyat, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Xencor.
"Xencor’s bispecific platform has generated a diverse set of product candidates that explore novel biological mechanisms, which hold the potential to address unmet needs for the treatment of patients with cancer," said Dr. Yang. "I look forward to contributing to the advancement of the Company’s growing portfolio of novel bispecific antibodies and cytokines."
Before assuming his most recent role at Jazz, Dr. Yang was the therapeutic area head for hematology and oncology, assembling its clinical development team and overseeing several oncology products, including Erwinaze, Defitelio and Vyxeos. Prior to Jazz, Dr. Yang led clinical development and clinical operations groups at Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, where he was vice president of clinical research. Previously, he held several roles of increasing responsibility at Amgen, including those of global development leader for Aranesp in oncology and clinical research medical director for Blincyto, the first bispecific antibody approved by the FDA. Before transitioning to the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Yang practiced medicine for several years as an academic oncologist at the University of Southern California, where he led a translational cancer research laboratory. Dr. Yang earned a B.A. in molecular biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and an M.D. from the University of Southern California. He completed his medical oncology fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Erwinaze is a registered trademark of Porton Biopharma Limited. Defitelio and Vyxeos are registered trademarks of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc or its subsidiaries. Aranesp and Blincyto are registered trademarks of Amgen Inc.