MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) today reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.

For the third quarter of 2017, the company reported a net loss of $6.9 million, or $0.04 per share, compared to $3.6 million, or $0.02 per share, for the comparable 2016 period. Net loss for the first nine months of 2017 was $20.5 million, or $0.13 per share, compared to $21.1 million, or $0.13 per share, for the comparable 2016 period. The company ended the third quarter of 2017 with $112.7 million in cash and investments.

Revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $163,000 and $874,000, respectively, compared to $5.1 million and $6.1 million for the comparable 2016 periods. Revenues for the three and nine month periods ending September 30, 2016 included license fee revenue of $5.0 million in connection with an upfront payment under a license agreement signed in September 2016 with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for certain rights to specialized oligonucleotide backbone chemistry and novel amidates.

Total operating expenses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $7.4 million and $22.3 million, respectively, compared to $9.0 million and $27.9 million for the comparable 2016 periods. Research and development expenses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $2.6 million and $8.5 million, respectively, compared to $4.3 million and $13.9 million for the comparable 2016 periods. The decrease in research and development expenses for the three and nine month periods ending September 30, 2017, compared to the same periods in 2016, primarily reflects lower costs for the company’s proportionate share of clinical development expenses under the imetelstat collaboration with Janssen Biotech, Inc. and reduced personnel related expenses. General and administrative expenses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $4.8 million and $13.8 million, respectively, compared to $4.7 million and $14.0 million for the comparable 2016 periods. The increase in general and administrative expenses for the three-month period ending September 30, 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, primarily reflects higher non-cash stock-based compensation expense. The decrease in general and administrative expenses for the nine-month period ending September 30, 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, primarily reflects lower consulting and legal costs, partially offset by higher non-cash stock-based compensation expense.

Interest and other income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $363,000 and $1.0 million, respectively, compared to $322,000 and $871,000 for the comparable 2016 periods. The increase in interest and other income for the three and nine month periods ending September 30, 2017, compared to the same periods in 2016, primarily reflects higher yields on the company’s marketable securities portfolio.

Conference Call and Webcast

At 4:30 p.m. ET on November 1, 2017, Geron’s management will host a conference call to discuss the company’s third quarter results as well as recent events.

Participants can access the conference call live via telephone dialing 877-303-9139 (U.S.); 760-536-5195 (international). The conference ID is 1056465. A live audio-only webcast is also available through the Investors section of the company’s website at www.geron.com or at https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/25tyxgih. The audio webcast of the conference call will be available for replay approximately one hour following the live broadcast through December 1, 2017.

About Geron

Geron is a biopharmaceutical company supporting the clinical stage development of a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat, in hematologic myeloid malignancies. For more information about Geron, visit www.geron.com.

Financial table follows.

GERON CORPORATION
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
	Three Months Ended								Nine Months Ended
	September 30,								September 30,
(In thousands, except share and per share data)	2017				2016				2017				2016
Revenues:
License fees and royalties	$	163			$	5,108			$	874			$	6,068
Operating expenses:
Research and development		2,637				4,319				8,510				13,927
General and administrative		4,770				4,666				13,833				14,006
Total operating expenses		7,407				8,985				22,343				27,933
Loss from operations		(7,244	)			(3,877	)			(21,469	)			(21,865	)
Interest and other income		363				322				1,041				871
Interest and other expense		(18	)			(21	)			(59	)			(61	)
Net loss	$	(6,899	)		$	(3,576	)		$	(20,487	)		$	(21,055	)
Basic and diluted net loss per share:
Net loss per share	$	(0.04	)		$	(0.02	)		$	(0.13	)		$	(0.13	)
Shares used in computing net loss per share		159,216,642				159,140,254				159,186,853				159,011,741

CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
	September 30,		December 31,
(In thousands)	2017		2016
	(Unaudited)		(Note 1)
Current assets:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	10,172	$	13,078
Current marketable securities		86,991		102,035
Other current assets		1,400		999
Total current assets		98,563		116,112
Noncurrent marketable securities		15,560		13,954
Property and equipment, net		121		183
	$	114,244	$	130,249
Current liabilities	$	5,970	$	7,869
Stockholders’ equity		108,274		122,380
	$	114,244	$	130,249

Note 1:  Derived from audited financial statements included in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. 

CONTACT:

Anna Krassowska, Ph.D.
Investor and Media Relations
650-473-7765
investor@geron.com
media@geron.com