On November 1, 2017 Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 (Press release, Geron, NOV 1, 2017, View Source [SID1234521431]).
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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 View Source The audio webcast of the conference call will be available for replay approximately one hour following the live broadcast through December 1, 2017.