EXHIBIT 99.1

                       Press Release Dated June 30, 2004
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  Geron and Kyowa Hakko Announce Agreement to Conclude Collaboration

    MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2004--Geron
Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) and Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. announced
today that Kyowa Hakko has made a strategic decision to refocus future
oncology development programs. Kyowa Hakko has therefore returned
Asian territory development and marketing rights for Geron's
telomerase inhibitors.
    "Geron has two interesting compounds in preclinical development.
Kyowa Hakko and Geron have been active collaborators in developing the
drug candidates," said Kenichi Fukuhara, executive officer of Kyowa
Hakko. "Kyowa, however, has made a decision to focus on other oncology
platforms in the future, including monoclonal antibodies, and are
consequently relinquishing our rights to the drugs to Geron. Like all
companies, we must be highly focused and that means not pursuing all
worthy projects. We hope that Geron succeeds in developing their
compounds and would like to see Geron bring a drug to market."
    "Kyowa Hakko has been a constructive and productive collaborator
and we have enjoyed our relationship," said David L. Greenwood,
Geron's executive vice president and chief financial officer. "We
would have been delighted to have Kyowa Hakko as our development
partner in Asia, but we understand the redirection of their oncology
strategy. Our plan is to file an IND with GRN163L for a hematologic
cancer in the near term and we now once again have worldwide rights to
the drug."
    Geron is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and
commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products for cancer based
on its telomerase technology, and cell-based therapeutics using its
human embryonic stem cell technology.

    This news release may contain forward-looking statements made
pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such
forward-looking statements in this press release regarding potential
applications of Geron's technology constitute forward-looking
statements involving risks and uncertainties, including, without
limitation risks inherent in the development and commercialization of
potential products, reliance on collaborators, need for additional
capital, need for regulatory approvals or clearances, and the
maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may
differ materially from the results anticipated in these
forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential
factors that could affect our results and other risks and
uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Geron's periodic
reports, including the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended March 31, 2004.

    CONTACT: Geron Corporation
             David L. Greenwood, 650-473-7765