My End of Year Review of GERN
INTRO Here's my semi-annual exercise to see if I remember why I own the stocks I own, and so I can check back and see if their stories have changed. I post in case it helps others too.
Geron
GERN (market cap $0.184B)
Geron is a leading edge biotech specializing in critical treatments for the big medical issues: organ replacement and repair, cancer treatment, and such via telomerase, stem cells, nuclear transfers, and some novel chemistry. I liked their approach. They have been bold enough to pursue some of the most powerful biological technologies that many talk about, but few act upon. Despite their boldness, they have been conservative and cogniscent of public perception and federal regulations. Such medical advances can create great companies, but are high risk, cost more, and require longer clinical trials. If successful, their technological advantages may be hard to replicate or compete against.
Sadly, 2012 seemed to be the year of cancelled clinical trials. Geron finally got out of the lab and into the patient population, but for a variety of reasons they were not as successful as they, or I, had hoped. Diversification is important in risky ventures, and fortunately Geron has had more than only technology to pursue. Unfortunately, the list seems dramatically reduced. Good news is still possible, and there has been some, but the stock price attests that the news hasn't been significant enough within the investment community.
Failure in one set of trials does not change the odds of the other trials. I must remind myself of that.
DISCLOSURE LTBH since 1999 and continuing to hold. I won't buy more because 1) I have no discretionary funds (ask my mortgage company) and because I may have enough stock if they succeed (in which case I can pay off my mortgage company). Unfortunately, I may have to sell if I can't find a job or sell my house.
(I've also collected links to the other discussion boards and my other stocks over on my blog trimbathcreative.wordpress.com) |
