Geron Corp – ‘8-K’ for 3/1/05 – EX-99.1

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Current Report   —   Form 8-K
Filing Table of Contents

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: 8-K         Geron Corporation                                      3     12K 
 2: EX-99.1     Geron Corporation, Press Release                       7±    26K 

EX-99.1   —   Geron Corporation, Press Release

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

Geron and Hong Kong's Biotechnology Research Corporation Form Strategic Alliance
for Telomerase Activation Therapies                                             

MENLO PARK, Calif. & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2,               
2005--Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) and the Biotechnology Research            
Corporation (BRC) of Hong Kong announced today the formation of a new           
company, TA Therapeutics Limited (TAT), in Hong Kong. The company will          
conduct research and commercially develop products that utilize                 
telomerase activator drugs to restore the regenerative and functional           
capacity of cells in various organ systems that have been impacted by           
senescence, injury or chronic disease. Geron and collaborating                  
scientists have generated evidence that telomerase activation can               
restore function in certain aged or diseased tissues.                           
TAT will be owned 50% by Geron and 50% by BRC, a company                
established by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology               
(HKUST), Geron's research partner. Geron is contributing scientific             
leadership, development expertise, intellectual property and capital            
to the new company. BRC is also providing scientific leadership, a              
research team, capital and laboratory facilities.                               
"We are very pleased to announce this important strategic event,"       
said David L. Greenwood, Geron's executive vice president. "We first            
initiated a scientific collaboration on telomerase activation with the          
Biotechnology Research Institute of HKUST in 2000. It was productive.           
Our teams have discovered two small molecule compounds that activate            
telomerase in human in vitro models of chronic and infectious                   
diseases, including AIDS. The potential therapeutic opportunities are           
numerous and large. We, and our partner, agreed to create and                   
capitalize a new company to aggressively pursue further research with           
the intent of developing the compounds into commercial products."               
"Our collaborative research with Geron was an important success,"       
said Professor Roland Chin, Vice-President for Research and                     
Development of HKUST. "The drug discovery efforts have produced two             
compounds that demonstrate telomerase activation broadly. We view this          
arrangement with Geron to be an extraordinary opportunity to launch an          
important biopharmaceutical company in Hong Kong that will immediately          
begin preclinical development of a new therapeutic paradigm with                
potential medical utility in multiple major chronic diseases. This is           
a remarkable opportunity and we are very pleased to form this                   
venture."                                                                       
Calvin B. Harley, Geron's chief scientific officer, noted that,         
"Geron has been conducting research in telomere and telomerase biology          
for years. Using telomerase gene transfer as a model, we have                   
demonstrated the biological utility of telomerase activation in over            
20 different human cell types that could impact a broad array of                
infectious and chronic degenerative conditions. With the discovery of           
two small molecule telomerase activators, our objective now is to put           
a substantial team to work testing these compounds in various models            
of disease and organ dysfunction."                                              

About HKUST and BRC                                                     

Officially opened in 1991, HKUST is a research university               
dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, and to the economic and              
social development of Hong Kong and the region through teaching,                
research, and service. It was named the number 42 university in a               
ranking of the world's top 200 universities by The Times, UK, in 2004.          
It has gained international recognition for its groundbreaking                  
research achievements in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and for its             
leadership in business education.                                               
The Biotechnology Research Corporation (BRC) is wholly owned by         
HKUST and is established with a contribution of HK$175 million by The           
Hong Kong Jockey Club to develop potential drug candidates from the             
laboratory into commercially viable drugs.                                      

Website: www.ust.hk                                                     

About Geron Corporation                                                 

Geron is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and          
commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products for cancer based            
on its telomerase technology, and cell-based therapeutics using its             
human embryonic stem cell technology.                                           

This news release may contain forward-looking statements made           
pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities              
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such                
forward-looking statements in this press release regarding potential            
applications of Geron's technology and compounds constitute                     
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties,                
including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and            
commercialization of potential products, reliance on collaborators,             
need for future capital and maintenance of our intellectual property            
rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results                   
anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional                     
information on potential factors that could affect our results and              
other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in                 
Geron's periodic reports, including the annual report on Form 10-K for          
the year ended December 31, 2004.                                               

GERON CORPORATION         
-- BACKGROUNDER --          

THE POTENTIAL FOR TELOMERASE ACTIVATION THERAPIES         

The strategic alliance between Geron and the Biotechnology              
Research Corporation expands development efforts for telomerase                 
activator drugs for applications in AIDS, wound healing and other               
chronic degenerative diseases.                                                  

TELOMERES AND TELOMERASE IN CELL AGING AND CANCER                       

Telomeres are essential genetic elements (DNA) that "cap" the ends      
of our chromosomes. They are maintained in immortal cells, such as              
normal germ cells (egg- and sperm-producing cells) and cancer cells,            
by expression of the enzyme telomerase, which synthesizes telomeric             
DNA (repeats of TTAGGG). Telomerase consists of two core subunits,              
both cloned by Geron scientists and collaborators: hTR, the human               
telomerase RNA component, and hTERT, the human telomerase reverse               
transcriptase. In normal body cells, telomerase is "turned off," or is          
present only transiently or at very low levels, and telomeres                   
gradually erode with time and cell division. Eventual loss of telomere          
function on one or a few chromosomes triggers a complex response                
associated with damaged DNA, leading to loss of normal cell function,           
division capacity, and/or cell death. This process of "replicative              
senescence" is now believed to play an important role in age-related            
diseases (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, stroke, macular degeneration,           
osteoporosis, and joint disease), and in conditions such as viral               
infections or chronic stress (e.g. AIDS, liver diseases, and skin               
ulcers).                                                                        
Telomerase is constitutively active in the vast majority of             
biopsies from all cancer types studied to date. However, telomerase             
does not cause cancer. This has been shown by experiments in which              
over-expression of telomerase causes no malignant changes in normal             
cells (see below), and by the fact that in developing germ cells                
(cells that produce oocytes and sperm), telomerase is highly activated          
yet the cells remain normal. Cancer is characterized by abnormal cell           
growth caused by mutations in oncogenes that regulate cell growth and           
division. During early growth and expansion of mutated cells,                   
telomerase is typically inactive and telomeres continue to shorten              
until telomerase is activated through one or more additional                    
mutations, conferring immortality to the cancer cell. Thus, even                
though telomerase activation is important for cancer cell survival,             
telomerase activation in normal human cells is expected to improve              
their function without causing cancerous changes.                               

TELOMERES AND TELOMERASE IN DEGENERATIVE DISEASES                       

Evidence that suggests telomerase activation has potential in           
treating degenerative disease comes from at least three lines of                
research. First, a variety of human cell types grown in culture                 
exhibit little or no telomerase activity, gradual telomere loss, and a          
finite lifespan culminating in replicative senescence associated with           
loss of normal differentiated function. These cellular changes in the           
laboratory dish mimic events seen with age and disease in vivo.                 
Introduction of the telomerase gene, hTERT, by gene transfer, into              
human cells typically increases telomere length, extends cellular               
lifespan, and restores (or prevents loss of) normal differentiated              
function. Moreover, "telomerized" cells have normal growth control and          
show no signs of malignant changes. In many cases, introduction of              
active telomerase also increases the capacity of cells to withstand             
stress due to high or low levels of oxygen, toxic molecules, or                 
abnormal growth conditions. This fact is important, as it suggests              
that even non-dividing cells will benefit from telomerase activation.           
Examples of human cells responding positively to telomerase gene                
transduction in culture are listed below, and include 18 different              
tissue systems and over 20 cell types.                                          

Cells that Respond to Telomerase Gene Transduction with Improved          
Replicative Capacity, Function, and/or Resistance to Stress         

--  Bone: Osteoblasts                                                   

--  Brain and the nervous system: Neurons and neural progenitors        

--  Breast: Mammary epithelial cells                                    

--  Connective tissue: Chondrocytes                                     

--  Endocrine system: Adrenocortical cells                              

--  Gum tissue: Gingival fibroblasts                                    

--  Heart: Cardiomyocytes                                               

--  Immune system (normal): Cytotoxic T cells                           

--  Immune system (impaired, e.g. HIV/AIDS): Cytotoxic T cells          

--  Liver: Hepatocytes, cholangiocytes                                  

--  Muscle: Skeletal myocytes                                           

--  Ovary: Surface epithelial cells                                     

--  Pancreas: Ductal stem or precursor cells                            

--  Eye: Retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells                       

--  Uterus: Endometrial stromal cells                                   

--  Skin: Keratinocytes, fibroblasts, microvascular endothelial         
cells, melanocytes                                              

--  Vasculature: Endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells                 

--  Other: Mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells                     

The second line of research linking telomere loss to cellular           
aging and disease comes from in vivo studies in which hTERT-expressing          
or control cells are injected into rodent models to assess functional           
capacity. In the five model systems of tissue repair or regeneration            
listed below, including a model of cancer immunotherapy, normal cells           
which have been transduced with active telomerase form functional               
tissue more readily than their normal (untransfected) counterparts.             

In Vivo Models in Which Telomerase Activated (hTERT Transduced) Cells         
Have Improved Function Over Control Cells         

--  Wound healing (human skin reconstitution in mice): Human            
fibroblasts and keratinocytes                                   

--  Neovascularization (ischemic hind limb salvage in mice): Human      
endothelial or endothelial progenitor cells                     

--  Bone formation (human cells or bone fragments injected into         
mice): Human osteoblasts or mesenchymal stem cells              

--  Dentin formation (rat cells into rat): Odontoblasts                 

--  Cancer immunotherapy (human melanoma in mice): Human cytotoxic      
T cells specific for the implanted tumor cells                  

The third line of research supporting telomerase activation for         
the treatment of disease involves injection of a telomerase gene into           
diseased or wounded tissue in an animal. In two studies reported to             
date, activation of telomerase in vivo by telomerase gene therapy               
resulted in improved regenerative capacity and tissue repair. In the            
first study, telomerase "knock-out" mice were created by deleting both          
chromosomal copies of the murine telomerase RNA gene (mTR). When these          
telomerase-negative mice were bred until their telomeres became                 
critically short, multiple degenerative changes were seen in                    
proliferative tissues (e.g. skin, gut, bone marrow, and liver).                 
Restoration of telomerase activity in the liver of these mice by mTR            
gene therapy prevented lethal loss of liver function upon exposure to           
toxic molecules. In a second study modeling human chronic ulcers, the           
ears of old rabbits were made ischemic (deprived of oxygen) by                  
ligating ear arteries. Ears were then wounded, and the wounds treated           
with the telomerase gene or control agents. The telomerase-treated              
wounds regenerated in a more robust manner than the control-treated             
wounds.                                                                         

HUMAN EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GENETICS LINK SHORT TELOMERES TO DISEASE         

In addition to experimental models illustrating the potential of        
telomerase activation for improved cell or tissue function and repair,          
multiple studies on human populations show an association between               
shortened telomeres and disease. In epidemiological studies of broad            
populations, individuals with short telomeres have been shown to be             
statistically at higher risk for infections, stroke, and heart disease          
compared to individuals with longer telomeres. A recent study has also          
shown that telomeres tend to be shorter in women exposed to long-term           
stress, a condition associated with increased susceptibility to                 
multiple diseases. Finally, human genetic disorders such as                     
Dyskeratosis Congenita that cause decreased telomerase activity in all          
cells throughout life show shortened telomeres at birth and rapid               
progression to diseases in highly proliferative tissues such as bone            
marrow and skin.                                                                

POTENTIAL FOR SMALL MOLECULE ACTIVATION OF TELOMERASE IN DISEASE        
THERAPY                                                                         

Delivering the telomerase gene to cells or tissues by gene therapy      
remains a viable approach for telomerase activation, but is not as              
attractive as a small molecule drug which is simpler to manufacture             
and control, and does not carry the same level of risk for genetic              
modification to cells. Based on the research reviewed above, a small            
molecule telomerase activator could find utility in the treatment of            
essentially all age-related diseases that involve reduced cellular              
proliferative capacity or sensitivity to stress related to lack of              
telomerase activity or shortened telomeres. A partial list of diseases          
that should respond to a telomerase activator drug follows:                     

Potential Therapeutic Uses of a Small Molecule Telomerase Activator         

--  AIDS: Improved cytotoxic T cell elimination of HIV-infected         
CD4 cells                                                       

--  Cardiovascular and heart diseases: Reduced ischemic damage,         
improved neo-vascularization                                    

--  Chronic ulcers: Improved wound healing                              

--  Joint diseases: Improved cartilage production                       

--  Infections in the elderly: Improved overall immune response         

--  Liver disease: Improved hepatocyte growth and resistance to         
stress                                                          

--  Macular degeneration: Improved RPE cell function; reduced           
angiogenesis                                                    

--  Osteoporosis: Improved osteoblast function and bone generation      

--  Stroke and neurodegenerative diseases: Reduced ischemic damage      
and increased resistance to neurotoxins (e.g. amyloid)          

SMALL MOLECULE TELOMERASE ACTIVATORS                                    

Geron Corporation, in collaboration with the Biotechnology              
Research Institute, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,             
conducted a screen for telomerase activators using human                        
keratinocytes. The source of material for the screen was natural                
product extracts. In the course of the screen, several extracts were            
discovered that reproducibly up-regulated the low, basal level of               
telomerase in human keratinocytes. With analysis of the extract and             
further testing, one compound in the extract, named GRN139951, was              
identified as the key telomerase activator in the extract. It was               
capable of activating telomerase in keratinocytes and other human cell          
types (e.g. lymphocyte immune cells) at very low concentrations.                
GRN140665, a derivative of GRN139951 also present in the extract but            
at lower concentrations, was prepared and found to possess similar              
telomerase activating properties. These molecules are under                     
development for the treatment of degenerative diseases by TA                    
Therapeutics, Limited. Other small molecule activators discovered               
during the course of the research may also be developed for certain             
disease indications.                                                            

ABOUT GERON CORPORATION                                                 

Geron is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and          
commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products for cancer based            
on its telomerase technology, and cell-based therapeutics using its             
human embryonic stem cell technology. For more information, please              
visit our website at www.geron.com.                                             

This news release may contain forward-looking statements made           
pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities              
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such                
forward-looking statements in this backgrounder regarding potential             
applications of Geron's technology and compounds constitute                     
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties,                
including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and            
commercialization of potential products, reliance on collaborators,             
need for future capital and maintenance of our intellectual property            
rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results                   
anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional                     
information on potential factors that could affect our results and              
other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in                 
Geron's periodic reports, including the annual report on Form 10-K for          
the year ended December 31, 2004.                                               

CONTACT: Geron Corporation                                              
David L. Greenwood, 650-473-7765 (EVP)                
or                                            
HKUST RandD Corporation Ltd.                          
Tony Eastham, 011-852-2358-7911 (President and CEO)   

Dates Referenced Herein   and   Documents Incorporated by Reference

This ‘8-K’ Filing		Date		Other Filings
Filed on:		3/7/05
		3/2/05
For Period End:		3/1/05
		12/31/04		10-K
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