Dendreon said Tuesday that Chairman Mitchell Gold is stepping down as part of a previously disclosed succession plan. President and CEO John Johnson will take on the additional role of chairman, the Seattle biotechnology company said.

Gold will remain as a board member.

In May, Dendreon reported a first-quarter loss, but its adjusted results beat analysts' expectations. Its revenue, which consisted almost entirely of sales of the prostate cancer treatment Provenge, jumped to $82 million from $27 million.

Shares of Dendreon closed Tuesday down 14 cents, or 1.9 percent, at $7.31. That is up from the stock's 52-week low of $5.69 in early June, but down substantially from its 52-week high of $42 set almost a year ago.