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Biotech / Medical : Geron Corp. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sowbug who wrote (1048)	11/5/1998 10:01:00 PM
From: scaram(o)uche	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3576

Why do you think that your original rationale is wrong? How much do you want to pay (market cap) for research that has no present, tangible route to product? I like GERN. I like the science. The market cap is $110 million. Why would you buy this company for a project that is, if rational, ten years from clinic when you can buy companies that are selling at or near book with near-term prospects, advanced projects, and market caps that are significantly lower? This is what happens to biotech. Some hype comes along (again, I think that it's a significant accomplishment) and one company gets all out of whack. When it dives, people damn the sector. That's BS. If it gaps (up) at the open tomorrow, most that know the sector would short rather than buy. However, those individuals also wouldn't risk shorting, given the publicity associated with the news. I'm trying to temper any reaction to this news, as I believe that it's good for the sector. If it does gap open tomorrow and you all profit mightily, cool. Why was it necessary for the company to orchestrate this media blitz? Why a release for the Science manuscript and a separate release for the PNAS paper? What is the point of the hype? I'm a transplantation geneticist. I look forward to the contribution of stem cells to the art. However, if one is interested in applied work rather than promotion of a major scientific achievement, look to a company that is working with the porcine stem cell. Good luck all. Hope you all get rich tomorrow, and that the sector doesn't need to endure another ENMD.

To: Sowbug who wrote (1048)	11/5/1998 11:20:00 PM
From: Kevin McKenzie	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3576

Take my "advice" with a shaker of salt, because there are people who do this for a living, and I'm not one of them. My only words of advice from my own similar experience is don't chase the stock by buying back your calls at some ridiculous premium. Tomorrow, GERN may gap way up, it may even gap down. Either way, the increased volatility will drive the call premiums up. I'd just let it ride. If Geron makes a huge move up, you could take a "short" position by purchasing puts against your stock. If Geron gaps way down, or moves down quickly after open, you could by back your calls (which is what you anticipated would happen when you sold the calls). I've killed myself trying to get out of the position you're in, rather than just treating like a wash. The worst that can happen is that it falls back under $5. Just keep an eye open over the next couple weeks. Good luck.