Geron Corporation Announces Appointment of Gaurav Aggarwal, M.D., to its Board of Directors
November 28 2023 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a late-stage clinical
biopharmaceutical company, today announced the appointment of
Gaurav Aggarwal, M.D., to the Company’s Board of Directors. Dr.
Aggarwal has been a prominent investor in the life sciences sector
for more than two decades and has a history of expertise in
financial and corporate strategy, as well as business development,
in companies with which he has been affiliated at both an
operational and board level.
“Gaurav brings extensive strategic leadership to Geron, and we
believe his demonstrated track record in both corporate strategy
and capital formation will add tremendous value as we look forward
to a potential commercial launch in 2024,” said Dr. John Scarlett,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“Geron’s tremendous science, expertise, clinical results and
readiness to bring their first-in-class investigational telomerase
inhibitor to the market have made this a very exciting time to join
the Board,” said Dr. Aggarwal. “I look forward to partnering with
my fellow Board members and Geron’s leadership team to work to
maximize the value of the Company and support its mission to
enhance the lives of patients with hematologic malignancies.”
Dr. Aggarwal most recently served as Managing Director of Vivo
Capital LLC, a global investment firm from 2016 to 2023, and Chief
Investment Officer of its US public investment fund, from 2021 to
2023. Previously, he served as the Chief Business Officer of Ocera
Therapeutics, Inc., a publicly traded clinical-stage company
developing therapies for orphan liver conditions, from April 2014
through October 2016; as Managing Director of Investor Growth
Capital from January 2013 through December 2013; and as a General
Partner at Panorama Capital, L.P., a venture capital fund, from
August 2006 through December 2012. Earlier in his career, Dr.
Aggarwal was an associate with JPMorgan Partners, LLC, a private
equity division of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Dr. Aggarwal has served on the board of directors of Unicycive
Therapeutics Inc. since March 2023, and previously served on the
boards of directors of Sierra Oncology, Inc. (acquired by
GlaxoSmithKline plc), Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc. (acquired by
Horizon Pharma plc), and on several privately held
biopharmaceutical companies. Dr. Aggarwal received his MD from
Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons, and his
BS in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.
Dr. Aggarwal will serve as an independent Board member for
Geron; his appointment to the Geron Board was not associated with
an investment made either by him or by any investment firm.
About Geron
Geron is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company
pursuing therapies with the potential to extend and enrich the
lives of patients living with hematologic malignancies. Our
first-in-class investigational telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat,
harnesses Nobel Prize-winning science in a treatment that may alter
the underlying drivers of disease. The New Drug Application (NDA)
for imetelstat for the treatment of transfusion dependent anemia in
patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR MDS), who
have failed to respond or have lost response to or are ineligible
for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) based on the results
from the Phase 3 IMerge clinical trial, is currently under review
by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a
Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of June
16, 2024. In addition, an MAA is under review in the European Union
for the same proposed indication. Furthermore, Geron currently has
an ongoing pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating imetelstat in
relapsed/refractory myelofibrosis (MF). To learn more, visit
www.geron.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Use of Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, this
press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to
the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such statements,
include, without limitation, those regarding: (i) the Company’s
belief that Dr. Aggarwal will add tremendous value as the Company
looks forward to a potential commercial launch in 2024; (ii) Dr.
Aggarwal’s plans to partner with Geron’s Board and leadership team
to work to maximize the value of the Company and support its
mission to enhance the lives of patients with hematologic
malignancies; and (iii) other statements that are not historical
facts, constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that can cause actual
results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking
statements. These risks and uncertainties, include, without
limitation, risks and uncertainties related to: (a) whether health
pandemics and/or geopolitical events and any resulting economic and
financial disruptions will materially and adversely impact Geron’s
business and business prospects, results of operations and
financial condition; (b) whether Geron overcomes all of the
potential delays and other adverse impacts caused by enrollment,
clinical, safety, efficacy, technical, scientific, intellectual
property, manufacturing and regulatory challenges in order to have
the financial resources for, and to meet its expected timelines,
planned milestones and expenses; (c) whether regulatory authorities
permit the further development of imetelstat on a timely basis, or
at all, without any clinical holds; (d) whether imetelstat has
demonstrated sufficient safety, efficacy and clinical benefit in
IMerge Phase 3 to enable regulatory approval; (e) whether any
future safety or efficacy results of imetelstat treatment cause the
benefit-risk profile of imetelstat to become unacceptable; (f)
whether imetelstat actually demonstrates disease-modifying activity
in patients and the ability to target the malignant stem and
progenitor cells of the underlying disease; (g) that Geron may seek
to raise substantial additional capital in order to complete the
development and commercialization of imetelstat to meet its
expected timelines, planned milestones and expenses; (h) whether
regulatory authorities require an additional imetelstat LR MDS
clinical trial for approval, or post-approval; (i) whether there
are failures or delays in manufacturing or supplying sufficient
quantities of imetelstat or other clinical trial materials that
impact a commercial launch in LR MDS or the continuation of the
IMpactMF trial; (j) that the projected timing for the interim and
final analyses of the IMpactMF trial may vary depending on actual
enrollment and death rates in the trial; and (k) whether the FDA
and EMA will approve imetelstat for the treatment of
transfusion-dependent anemia in patients with LR MDS or other
indications on the timelines expected, or at all. Additional
information on the above risks and uncertainties and additional
risks, uncertainties and factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are
contained in Geron’s filings and periodic reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading “Risk Factors”
and elsewhere in such filings and reports, including Geron’s
quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30,
2023 and future filings and reports by Geron. Undue reliance should
not be placed on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of
the date they are made, and the facts and assumptions underlying
the forward-looking statements may change. Except as required by
law, Geron disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking
statements to reflect future information, events, or
circumstances.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231128188156/en/
Aron Feingold Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate
Communications
Kristen Kelleher Senior Manager, Investor Relations
investor@geron.com media@geron.com
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