Presentations feature real-world experience and clinical evidence in lower-risk MDS, underscoring growing global scientific engagement with imetelstat
FOSTER CITY, Calif., Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a hematology-focused biopharmaceutical company pursuing more meaningful moments for people living with blood cancer, today announced two oral presentations and one poster presentation highlighting imetelstat in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Hematology and the 2026 Annual Meeting of the German, Austrian and Swiss Societies for Hematology and Medical Oncology. These presentations will feature real-world evidence and findings from the Phase 3 IMerge trial.
“We’re encouraged by the growing interest in imetelstat across the global hematology community, supported by both the clinical evidence from IMerge and an expanding body of real-world evidence in lower-risk MDS,” said Joseph E. Eid, M.D., Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer of Geron. “These presentations provide an important opportunity to share evidence relevant to patient populations across regions and engage with clinicians as we evaluate opportunities to bring imetelstat’s potential to more people living with LR-MDS around the world.”
Key takeaways from the presentations:
88th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Hematology 2026
- Real-World Experience With Imetelstat in Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Insights From United States Claims Data (Eid, et al. Oral #O1-11C-4)
- The retrospective study used closed medical and pharmacy claims with linked enrollment and laboratory data from the Komodo Health database and included adults with MDS who initiated imetelstat between June 2024 and August 2025, representing the first 14 months after the launch of imetelstat in the U.S.
- In this real-world U.S. cohort (N=58), with a mean age of 75 years at diagnosis, most patients (71%) initiated imetelstat in the third line or later, with considerable anemia and a mean Charleson Comorbidity Index of 2.6 at the time of initiation.
- Despite substantial comorbidity burden, most patients remained on therapy through the early months when cytopenias typically emerge (~67% at 6 months; Kaplan-Meier [KM] estimate).
- Durable Clinical Outcomes With Imetelstat in Korean Patients With LR-MDS (Eid, et al. Poster #P3-12-5)
- This post-hoc study explores characteristics of two Korean patients with LR-MDS who had over one year of red blood cell transfusion independence (RBC-TI) with imetelstat, and explores the relationship between cytopenias and treatment outcomes with imetelstat in 13 Korean patients from the Phase 2/3 and heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) substudy of IMerge.
- Both patients who achieved long-term response with imetelstat experienced grade 3/4 neutropenia and grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia events early during treatment; most resolved to grade ≤2 in <4 weeks, consistent with the broader IMerge data.
- Durable efficacy and manageable safety with imetelstat was exhibited in Korean patients across a range of patient and disease characteristics (sex, RS status, baseline erythropoietin [EPO], and baseline platelet levels).
- In the 13 Korean patients, early cytopenias with imetelstat were associated with better clinical outcomes, as previously reported in IMerge.
2026 Annual Meeting of the German, Austrian and Swiss Societies for Hematology and Medical Oncology
- Telomerase Inhibition With Imetelstat in Patients With Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Integrating Molecular Findings, Cytopenias, and Clinical Outcomes (Brauer, et al. Oral #V755)
- This presentation integrates key evidence from the Phase 2/3 and QTc substudy of IMerge to support clinical practice, reporting on molecular changes, cytopenias and clinical outcomes with imetelstat in LR-MDS, including emerging evidence suggesting treatment may potentially alter the underlying biology of the disease.
- Transient cytopenias observed early in treatment may be the result of an on-target effect of imetelstat and may be predictive of a better therapeutic response.
- Certain patients with LR-MDS and transfusion-dependent (TD) anemia who experience sustained RBC-TI (≥8-week, ≥24-week, or ≥1-year) with imetelstat may experience improved health-related outcomes, including fatigue, QUALMS Total, QUALMS-P, and QUALMS-E scores.
The presentations are available on the “Publications & Presentations” page of the Geron website.
About RYTELO (imetelstat)
RYTELO (imetelstat) is an oligonucleotide telomerase inhibitor approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) with transfusion-dependent anemia requiring four or more red blood cell units over eight weeks who have not responded to or have lost response to or are ineligible for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). It is indicated to be administered as an intravenous infusion over two hours every four weeks.
In addition, RYTELO is approved in the European Union as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with transfusion-dependent anemia due to very low, low or intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes without an isolated deletion 5q cytogenetic (non-del 5q) abnormality and who had an unsatisfactory response to or are ineligible for erythropoietin-based therapy.
RYTELO is a first-in-class treatment that works by inhibiting telomerase enzymatic activity. Telomeres are protective caps at the end of chromosomes that naturally shorten each time a cell divides. In LR-MDS, abnormal bone marrow cells often express the enzyme telomerase, which rebuilds those telomeres, allowing for uncontrolled cell division. Developed and exclusively owned by Geron, RYTELO is the first and only telomerase inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission.
Please see RYTELO (imetelstat) full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide, available at https://pi.geron.com/products/US/pi/rytelo_pi.pdf.
About Geron
Geron is a hematology-focused biopharmaceutical company pursuing more meaningful moments for people living with blood cancer. Because patients cannot wait, we approach our work with urgency, bringing together deep expertise in telomerase biology with patient perspectives and insights from clinical research and real-world care. Our medicine, RYTELO® (imetelstat), is approved in the United States and European Union for certain patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS). We are building on our foundation in telomerase inhibition by studying imetelstat in myelofibrosis, including a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with JAK-inhibitor relapsed/refractory disease, as well as other hematologic malignancies. Geron is a commercial-stage company with offices in Parsippany, New Jersey and Foster City, California. 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. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those regarding: (i) the potential clinical significance of data presented from the IMerge trial and real-world evidence analyses; (ii) the potential relationship between treatment-emergent cytopenias and clinical outcomes; (iii) the potential for imetelstat to affect the underlying biology of lower-risk MDS; (iv) Geron’s plans and efforts to expand awareness and understanding of imetelstat through scientific engagement; (v) Geron’s plans to pursue opportunities to bring imetelstat to patients outside the United States; (vi) the future development of imetelstat in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis and other hematologic malignancies; and (vii) other statements that are not historical facts. 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 data analyses and observations from clinical trials and real-world experience are predictive of future clinical outcomes; (b) whether imetelstat demonstrates disease-modifying activity or other benefits in patients; (c) whether treatment-emergent cytopenias are predictive of clinical outcomes or reflect on-target biological activity; (d) whether future clinical trial results, analyses and observations are consistent with prior findings; (e) whether regulatory authorities permit the continued development of imetelstat on a timely basis, or at all; (f) whether Geron is successful in commercializing RYTELO outside of the United States; (g) whether there are failures or delays in manufacturing or supplying sufficient quantities of RYTELO or clinical trial materials; and (h) risks and uncertainties relating to the development, regulatory review, and commercialization and market acceptance of imetelstat. Additional information regarding these 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 annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and subsequent 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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Dawn Schottlandt
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs
dschottlandt@geron.com
