Geron (NASDAQ:GERN) held its 2026 annual stockholders meeting virtually on May 20, with shareholders approving all four proposals presented by the company’s board of directors.
Elizabeth O’Farrell, chair of Geron’s board of directors, opened the meeting and introduced board members in attendance, including Dawn C. Bir, John F. McDonald, Dr. Susan Molineaux, Dr. Robert Spiegel and Constantine Chinoporos. Harout Semerjian, Geron’s president, chief executive officer and board member, also attended and introduced members of the company’s executive leadership team.
Shareholders Approve Board Nominees and Other Proposals
Shareholders voted on four proposals, all of which were approved, according to preliminary results announced during the meeting:
- Dr. Susan M. Molineaux, Patricia S. Andrews and Constantine Chinoporos were elected as Class III directors to serve until the 2029 annual meeting of stockholders.
- Geron’s amended and restated 2018 Equity Incentive Plan was approved, including an increase of 4.5 million shares available for issuance under the plan.
- The advisory vote on compensation for Geron’s named executive officers was approved.
- The selection of Ernst & Young LLP as Geron’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026, was ratified.
Williams said Geron expects to report preliminary voting results, or final results if available, in a Form 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission within four business days after the meeting.
Myelofibrosis Trial Interim Analysis Expected in 2026
During the investor question-and-answer portion of the meeting, Semerjian addressed the status of Geron’s Phase 3 myelofibrosis trial. He said the trial fully enrolled last fall and that Geron expects the trigger for an interim analysis before the end of 2026.
Semerjian said that if the trial passes the interim analysis, the full analysis is expected in the second half of 2028. He noted that, for planning purposes, Geron has publicly stated that because of the “small alpha” expected to be spent at the interim analysis, many trials of this type proceed to full maturity of the data.
“We also are planning to run a very high and robust interim analysis should those events happen now, and we expect that to be in the second half of 2026,” Semerjian said.
Geron Cites Interest in Investigator-Sponsored Trials
Semerjian also discussed investigator-sponsored trials involving telomerase inhibition and imetelstat. He said Geron has “invested heavily” in such trials, citing scientific interest from the medical community in studying telomerase inhibitors and imetelstat in adjacent disease areas.
Geron previously reported that more than 10 investigator-sponsored trials had been vetted and approved by the company, Semerjian said. He added that Geron looks forward to continuing dialogue with the medical community as it evaluates the potential value of telomerase inhibition and imetelstat for additional patients.
Company Discusses Workforce and Commercial Focus
In response to a question about the role of employees hired this year, Semerjian referred to a reduction in force that Geron previously reported in December 2025. He said the move was primarily intended to simplify the organization and allow the company to “move faster at biotech speed.”
Semerjian said Geron continues to assess its roles and capabilities as a commercial-stage company, particularly from a commercial perspective. He described the company as “a leaner organization with much more focus from a commercial perspective” and said Geron will continue to provide updates during quarterly earnings calls.
Ex-U.S. Strategy Expected Before Year-End
Semerjian also addressed a question about commercialization in the United Kingdom separate from the European Union. He said Geron believes RYTELO can help patients in the United States and outside the United States, and he pointed to a significant unmet medical need in the second-line lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes setting.
He added that a positive readout from the myelofibrosis trial would increase Geron’s ability to help more patients. Semerjian said the company is evaluating ways to reach patients through targeted internal efforts and appropriate partnerships.
“We have said that before end of year, we do plan to disclose what is our ex-U.S. strategy of helping more patients,” Semerjian said.
About Geron (NASDAQ:GERN)
Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel treatments that target telomerase, an enzyme critical to cancer cell immortality. The company’s research is focused on hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, with a pipeline designed to address diseases that have historically had limited therapeutic options.
The lead product candidate, imetelstat, is a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor currently in Phase II and Phase III clinical trials for myelofibrosis and myelodysplastic syndromes.
