Legend Biotech Launches Inaugural ELITE Grant Program to Advance the Next Generation of CAR-T Innovation in Multiple Myeloma

Annual program will award funding to early-career healthcare professionals advancing research, education, and innovation in multiple myeloma

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Legend Biotech Corporation (NASDAQ: LEGN) (Legend Biotech), a global leader in cell therapy, today announced the launch of its inaugural Emerging Leadership & Innovation in Cell Therapy Excellence (ELITE) Program, an annual grant initiative designed to recognize and support early-career healthcare professionals advancing novel cell therapy approaches for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Applications are open through November 20, 2026.

“At Legend Biotech, we believe that advancing the future of cellular therapy requires continued investment in the people and ideas that will shape the field," said Alan Bash, President, CARVYKTI. "Through the ELITE Program, we are supporting the next generation of innovators and research that can improve care for patients living with multiple myeloma, while we advance our pursuit of a cure.”

The ELITE Program is guided by an independent steering committee of nationally recognized experts in cellular therapy and hematologic malignancies, including Melissa Alsina, M.D., Ajai Chari, M.D., Rafael Fonseca, M.D., Sundar Jagannath, MBBS, Amrita Krishnan, M.D., Yi Lin, M.D., Ph.D., and Saad Usmani, M.D., MBA, FACP, FASCO. The committee provides scientific leadership and objective oversight of the grant applications and operates independently of Legend Biotech to guarantee a fair, transparent, and rigorous review process.

The program will award grants in two categories:

• Emerging Educator: Excellence in CAR-T Award, supporting projects with the potential to advance clinical practice, research, healthcare delivery, or education in multiple myeloma.
• Emerging Innovator: Innovation in CAR-T Award, supporting projects with an innovation “seed” specific to multiple myeloma that will serve as a pilot, expansion, or novel approach.

Recipients will be notified in December 2026 and invited to a recognition event in 2027, where they can present their proposals and engage with peers and members of the steering committee.

For more details on eligibility criteria, grant categories, and the application process, please visit the ELITE Program website.

ABOUT LEGEND BIOTECH
With over 3,000 employees, Legend Biotech is the largest standalone cell therapy company and a pioneer in treatments that change cancer care forever. Legend Biotech is at the forefront of the CAR-T cell therapy revolution with CARVYKTI^®, a one-time treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, which it develops and markets with collaborator Johnson & Johnson. Centered in the United States, Legend Biotech is building an end-to-end cell therapy company by expanding its leadership to maximize CARVYKTI’s patient access and therapeutic potential. From this platform, Legend Biotech plans to drive future innovation across its pipeline of cutting-edge cell therapy modalities.

Learn more at www.legendbiotech.com and follow us on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to statements relating to Legend Biotech’s advancement of its pursuit of a cure, the ELITE Program, including the timing and administration of the program, the grant application and selection process, the potential impact of the program on research, education, healthcare delivery, and innovation in multiple myeloma, and Legend Biotech’s plans, objectives, and expectations regarding future innovation and cell therapy development. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors. Legend Biotech’s expectations could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the development of new pharmaceutical products; unexpected clinical trial results, including as a result of additional analysis of existing clinical data or unexpected new clinical data; unexpected regulatory actions or delays, including requests for additional safety and/or efficacy data or analysis of data, or government regulation generally; unexpected delays as a result of actions undertaken, or failures to act, by Legend Biotech’s third-party partners; uncertainties arising from challenges to Legend Biotech’s patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection, including the uncertainties involved in the U.S. litigation process; government, industry, and general product pricing and other political pressures; as well as the other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of Legend Biotech’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2026. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this press release as anticipated, believed, estimated, or expected. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Legend Biotech specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

INVESTOR CONTACT:
Caroline Paul
Tel: (973) 650-5832
Caroline.Paul@legendbiotech.com

PRESS CONTACT:
Kim Fox
Tel: (848) 388-8445
media@legendbiotech.com