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To: CanynGirl who wrote (428)	12/29/1998 12:21:00 AM
From: CanynGirl	Respond to of 2802

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by BancBoston Robertson Stephens, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, CRD number 41271: BancBoston Robertson Stephens senior Internet analyst Keith E. Benjamin initiated coverage today of Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, Inc. (Nasdaq: TMCS) with a Buy rating. Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch is an online local content provider that creates and delivers local city guides on the Web. Each guide provides up-to-date, detailed information on local news and events, such as entertainment, shopping, professional services, community activities and weather. The CitySearch model involves rapidly building out a network of city guides to quickly establish presence and brand in multiple cities, capitalizing on Yellow Pages-type advertising opportunities from local businesses. The next step is to offer online ticket sales through TicketMaster Online, and then other services and commerce offerings. With its growing user base, the company is beginning to sell local and national retail advertising similar to retail advertising in local newspapers. "We believe the Internet is an ideal medium for discovering local information and accomplishing local tasks, and that local Web guides will become a huge market," said Benjamin. "CitySearch has the leading position in this area because its City Guides are the most up-to-date and detailed available, in our view. We believe the company will continue rapid expansion into new markets, as well as develop existing markets to capitalize on the $12 billion Yellow Pages advertising market, the $18 billion retail newspaper advertising market, and the large, multi-billion dollar local e-commerce market. With the leadership position in this high-growth market, we believe the company can build a large media business with a local focus in communities throughout the world." "Given the company's sound strategy and the size of the online opportunity, we think its valuation compares favorably with the market capitalizations of several newspaper companies, such as Gannett, Knight Ridder, Times Mirror, Dow Jones and New York Times Co., which rely substantially on local advertising." "We believe the market opportunity, as measured by newspaper valuations ranging from $4 billion to $20 billion, is large enough to justify the company's market capitalization of over $4.5 billion. We estimate TMCS sites have approximately 2.5 million users, implying a value of $1,800 per user. We believe CitySearch could easily reach several million regular users, implying a potential market capitalization measured in tens of billions based on value per user of approximately $2,000." BancBoston Robertson Stephens is a leading international investment banking firm focused on emerging growth companies. The firm's 55 senior research analysts cover over 575 companies.

To: CanynGirl who wrote (428)	12/29/1998 12:28:00 AM
From: CanynGirl	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2802

Monday December 28, 6:17 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release Geron Announces First In Vivo Data Indicating Telomerase Expression in Normal Human Cells Extends Their Replicative Lifespan Without Oncogenic Transformation MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 28, 1998--Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN - news) and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas announced today the publication of two papers in the Jan. 1, 1999, issue of Nature Genetics demonstrating that telomerase expression in normal cells confers an infinite replicative capacity, but does not result in cellular changes associated with cancer. These findings have important implications for scientific research as well as pharmaceutical drug discovery and product development. Telomerase is an ''immortalizing'' enzyme that imparts infinite replicative capacity to reproductive and cancer cells. Conversely, normal somatic cells that do not express telomerase have a finite replicative capacity and eventually senesce. Senescent cells can damage surrounding tissues, contributing to age-related pathologies. For example, senescent skin fibroblasts can contribute to slower healing and wrinkling. Similarly, senescent retinal pigment epithelial cells can contribute to age-related macular degeneration. Research published Jan. 16, 1998, in Science (by the same two research teams making today's announcement) demonstrated that the introduction of telomerase into normal cells resulted in the extension of their replicative lifespan. The two papers announced today provide new in vitro and the first in vivo data demonstrating that telomerase expression in normal cells results in cellular immortality but does not induce cancer-associated physical and biochemical characteristics. Specifically, the Geron researchers report that human skin fibroblasts and retinal pigment epithelial cells transfected with telomerase over a year ago have been continually dividing and can therefore now be considered immortal. Moreover, these same cells retain normal growth control and do not form tumors in vivo, even after twice the normal maximum number of population doublings. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers report that the expression of telomerase in human fibroblasts is sufficient in vitro to extend their replicative capacity three times beyond when they would normally senesce without malignant transformation. According to Dr. Calvin Harley, Geron's chief scientific officer, ''These findings and similar results from others to whom we have given the telomerase gene, increase our confidence that 'telomerizing' normal human cells will prove useful in research, genetic engineering, drug discovery, and treating disease''. Geron believes that being able to generate an essentially unlimited supply of normal human cells will create new opportunities to study basic mechanisms of cell growth and differentiation, and as a result provide a reproducible source of young normal cells for both drug screening and testing as well as cell and gene therapy. For example, telomerase could be used to extend the limited lifespan of blood vessel forming cells, the shortage of which has prevented their widespread use for discovery of new treatments for hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. The ability to increase and potentially regulate the lifespan of normal cells should also help overcome a major hurdle in genetic engineering and cell and gene therapies. For example, it is now known that the isolation, expansion, and manipulation of cells outside the body for reimplantation into patients causes accelerated aging of the cells. The use of 'telomerized' cells with an extended lifespan should enable the cells to survive longer in the body. Finally, for therapeutic applications, Geron will seek to use regulated telomerase expression to postpone or reverse senescence and age-related pathologies such as macular degeneration, skin atrophy, and atherosclerosis. Telomerase is actually a complex of at least two distinct molecules, one made of RNA and another made of protein. These two molecules are necessary for making active telomerase. Geron owns or co-owns issued patents with claims on both these molecules as well as their use in research, diagnostics and therapeutics. Senior author of the Geron Nature Genetics paper, ''Telomerase Expression in Human Somatic Cells does not Induce Changes Associated with a Transformed Phenotype,'' is Dr. Choy-Pik Chiu at Geron. Co-authors at Geron include Xu-Rong Jiang, Edwin Chang, Maria Frolkis, Brenda Kusler and Andrea Bodnar. The work reported in this paper was done in collaboration with Dr. Geoffrey M. Wahl at the Salk Institute and Dr. Thea Tlsty at the University of California, San Francisco. Geron Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering and developing therapeutic and diagnostic products based upon the company's understanding of human embryonic stem cells, and of telomeres and telomerase in cells -- fundamental biological platforms underlying cancer and other age-related degenerative diseases. The company desires to take advantage of the ''safe harbor'' provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, the company wishes to alert readers that the matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect the company's results is included in the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1998. To receive an index and copies of recent press releases, call Geron's News On Demand toll-free fax service, 1-800-782-3279. Additional information about the company can be obtained at www.geron.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: Geron Corporation Nancy Robinson, 650-473-7765 (Investor & Media Relations) or CLM Communications Mike Jackman, 415/388-3216 (Media) or Burns McClellan Lisa Burns or John Nugent, 212/213-0006 (IR) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------