Geron Corporation Reports Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

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Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, has granted equity awards totaling 966,000 shares to sixteen new employees as employment inducements. The awards, granted on September 17, 2025, include 644,000 stock options at $1.27 per share and 322,000 restricted stock units (RSUs).

The stock options have a ten-year term with a 4-year vesting schedule, starting with 12.5% vesting at six months and the remainder over 42 months. RSUs vest 25% annually over four years. These awards were approved under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) through Geron's 2018 Inducement Award Plan.

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FOSTER CITY, Calif., Sept. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, today reported that it has granted equity awards covering an aggregate of 966,000 shares of its common stock, consisting of stock options to purchase an aggregate of 644,000 shares of common stock, and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) representing an aggregate of 322,000 shares of common stock, to sixteen newly hired employees as an inducement material to their acceptance of employment with Geron.

The stock options and RSUs were granted on September 17, 2025. The stock options have an exercise price of $1.27 per share, which is equal to the closing price of Geron common stock on the grant date, have a ten-year term and vest over four years, with 12.5% of the shares underlying the options vesting on the six-month anniversary of commencement of employment of each employee and the remaining shares vesting over the following 42 months in equal installments of whole shares, subject to continued employment with Geron through the applicable vesting dates. 25% of the RSUs vest on each anniversary of the grant date, subject to continued employment with Geron through the applicable vesting dates. The equity awards were granted by the Compensation Committee of Geron’s Board of Directors in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) and are subject to the terms and conditions of Geron’s 2018 Inducement Award Plan and the forms of stock option and RSU agreements under the plan.

About Geron
Geron is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to change lives by changing the course of blood cancer. Our first-in-class telomerase inhibitor RYTELO® (imetelstat) is approved in the United States and the European Union for the treatment of certain adult patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes with transfusion dependent anemia. We are also conducting a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of imetelstat in JAK-inhibitor relapsed/refractory myelofibrosis, as well as studies in other myeloid hematologic malignancies. Inhibiting telomerase activity, which is increased in malignant stem and progenitor cells in the bone marrow, aims to reduce proliferation and induce death of malignant cells. To learn more, visit www.geron.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Investors
Dave Borah, CFA
dborah@geron.com 

Media
media@geron.com 

FAQ

What equity awards did Geron (GERN) grant to new employees in September 2025?

Geron granted 966,000 total shares, comprising 644,000 stock options at $1.27 per share and 322,000 RSUs to sixteen new employees.

What is the vesting schedule for Geron's September 2025 stock options?

The stock options vest over 4 years, with 12.5% vesting at 6 months and the remaining shares vesting in equal installments over the following 42 months.

How do the RSUs vest in Geron's September 2025 inducement grants?

The RSUs vest 25% annually over four years on each grant date anniversary, subject to continued employment.

What was the exercise price for Geron's September 2025 inducement stock options?

The stock options were granted with an exercise price of $1.27 per share, equal to Geron's closing stock price on September 17, 2025.