Press release
Geron Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Current Events
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company, today reported financial results
About this update from Geron Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":" FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nGeron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020. The Company will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss second quarter financial results and current events.\n\n\n“In the second quarter, we achieved a number of key milestones that have changed the trajectory of the Company,” said John A. Scarlett, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “After a successful meeting with the FDA, we announced plans to move forward with a Phase 3 clinical trial in refractory MF with overall survival as the primary endpoint. This decision was based on overall survival data from the IMbark Phase 2 trial that suggest imetelstat treatment could potentially double the remaining life expectancy for patients who have become refractory to JAK inhibitors.”\n\n\nDr. Scarlett added, “We reported clinically meaningful transfusion independence with longer durability from more mature data in the IMerge Phase 2 trial in lower risk MDS, which included 29% of patients being transfusion-free for more than one year. We also raised additional capital in the second quarter that we expect will sufficiently fund our development plans for the ongoing Phase 3 IMerge trial in lower risk MDS and the upcoming Phase 3 trial in refractory MF into the second half of 2022. These achievements, along with our experienced development team, position Geron to become a leader in the treatment of hematologic myeloid malignancies over the next several years.”\n\n\nCurrent Events – Clinical Development and Regulatory\n\n\nOngoing IMerge Phase 3 Clinical Trial in Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)\n\n\nAs of the end of July 2020, approximately 93% of the 90 clinical sites originally planned for the trial were open for screening and enrollment, compared to 68% in May.\n\n\nThe momentum of patient enrollment has begun to improve as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to wane in a majority of the countries where IMerge clinical sites are located. The Company continues to expect patient enrollment to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2021, subject to potential future delays or interruptions associated with COVID-19. To help ensure achievement of this goal, the trial is being expanded from 90 to approximate...