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ZLAB · Current Report (Form 8-K) · Filed May 21, 2026

Zai Lab Ltd — Current Report (Form 8-K)

Form
8-K
Filed
May 21, 2026
Period
May 18, 2026
Ticker
ZLAB
Accession
0001628280-26-037387
Boardroom Alpha · Filing insights

Zai Lab COO Josh Smiley departs; last day May 22, 2026; duties reassigned to CEO Samantha Du; severance per agreement.

About Zai Lab Ltd
Market cap
$1.9B
1Y TSR
−47.1%
3Y TSR
−12.4%
Sector
Healthcare
CEO
Du Ying
Last annual meeting: Jun 17, 2026 · View full Zai Lab Ltd profile →
zlab-20260518

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
________________________
FORM 8-K
________________________
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 18, 2026
________________________
ZAI LAB LIMITED
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
________________________
Cayman Islands001-3820598-1144595
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
(Commission
File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
899 Halei Road
Building B, Pudong
Shanghai China
201203
314 Main Street
4th Floor, Suite 100
Cambridge, MA, USA
02142
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)
+86 21 6163 2588
+1 857 706 2604
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
________________________
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange
on which registered
American Depositary Shares, each representing 10 Ordinary Shares, par value $0.000006 per shareZLABThe Nasdaq Global Market
Ordinary Shares, par value $0.000006 per share*9688The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
*Included in connection with the registration of the American Depositary Shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The ordinary shares are not registered or listed for trading in the United States but are listed for trading on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐



Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On May 18, 2026, the Board of Directors of Zai Lab Limited (the “Company”) determined that Mr. Josh Smiley will cease serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, effective as of May 18, 2026, and his last day of employment with the Company will be May 22, 2026. The responsibilities previously associated with such positions have been assumed by Samantha Du, the Company’s Board Chair, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, and other members of the Company’s management team.
Mr. Smiley will receive severance pursuant to his existing employment agreement, subject to his execution of a customary release.







SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
ZAI LAB LIMITED
By:/s/ F. Ty Edmondson
Name:
F. Ty Edmondson
Title:
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Date: May 21, 2026

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Reference

Frequently asked questions

When did Zai Lab Ltd file this 8-K?
Zai Lab Ltd (ZLAB) filed this Current Report (Form 8-K) with the SEC on May 21, 2026. The accession number assigned by EDGAR is 0001628280-26-037387.
What does an 8-K disclose?
Form 8-K is the SEC's current-report form, used to disclose material events between periodic reports (10-K / 10-Q). Triggers include CEO/CFO departures, acquisitions, bankruptcies, earnings releases, auditor changes, changes in fiscal year, and amendments to corporate governance. Each 8-K is keyed to one or more Item numbers (1.01 through 9.01).
What is the key takeaway from this filing?
Zai Lab COO Josh Smiley departs; last day May 22, 2026; duties reassigned to CEO Samantha Du; severance per agreement. This is Boardroom Alpha's one-line summary of the current report; see the full filing text above for the formal disclosure.
What Item codes does an 8-K cover?
An 8-K's Item codes (1.01 through 9.01) specify what kind of event is being disclosed — e.g. Item 1.01 for entering a material agreement, Item 5.02 for departure/election of directors and executive officers, Item 8.01 for other events. The Item codes for this 8-K appear in the filing text above.
Where can I find Zai Lab Ltd's prior current reports on EDGAR?
The SEC EDGAR browser lists every 8-K Zai Lab Ltd has filed under CIK 1704292, sortable by date. Use the "View on SEC EDGAR" link in the page header, or browse directly via https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar.
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