FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, reported on March 18, 2026, that it granted inducement stock options to new employees. The grants were approved on March 17, 2026, under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), which allows for equity awards as a material inducement to employment.
The company granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 956,250 shares of its common stock. The options have an exercise price of $4.00 per share, which was the closing market price on the grant date. They vest over four years, with 25% vesting on the first anniversary of the grant date and the remainder vesting monthly over the following 36 months.
Geron stated the awards were granted to 14 new employees. The inducement grants were made outside of the company's 2023 Equity Incentive Plan but are otherwise subject to its terms. Such grants are a common practice for companies to attract talent.
Geron is focused on the development and commercialization of treatments for hematologic malignancies. Its lead product, imetelstat, is approved for certain patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.
