By Siddhi Mahatole

Sept 15 (Reuters) – Legend Biotech on Tuesday appointed longtime Novartis executive Ingrid Zhang as its CEO, effective immediately, banking on an industry veteran to steer its expansion beyond blockbuster cancer therapy Carvykti.

Zhang most recently served as Novartis’ international chief commercial officer and previously led the Swiss drugmaker’s China business. She has also held leadership roles at AstraZeneca and Pfizer.

“It is a privilege to join Legend Biotech at an important moment in the company’s growth,” Zhang, who spent 15 years at Novartis, said in a statement.

Zhang succeeds Ying Huang, who resigned in July after seven years at the helm of the cell therapy maker.

Carvykti, Legend’s blockbuster cancer therapy for multiple myeloma developed with Johnson & Johnson, generated about $1.9 billion in sales last year and about $1.25 billion in the first half of 2026.

Legend Biotech shares closed down 4.6% on Tuesday.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Leonid Timashev said hiring a commercial expert made sense given the need to sustain Carvykti’s growth. He also noted the appointment may dilute the company’s recent efforts to distance itself from China.

“Ingrid Zhang brings deep global expertise to lead the company through its next phase of growth, building on our momentum with Carvykti, advancing our pipeline, and executing our long-term growth strategy,” Legend Biotech told Reuters in an email response.

Legend was among GenScript Biotech affiliates named in a letter by U.S. lawmakers last year as they renewed concerns about the Chinese biotech company’s role in advancing Beijing’s biotech capabilities.

Legend is developing an experimental in-vivo cell therapy for lymphoma that could eliminate the lengthy manufacturing process required for conventional CAR-T treatments.

Novartis has come under pressure from a major shareholder to shake up its board following back-to-back clinical trial setbacks.

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole and Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Tasim Zahid)


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