Alot of this may be tied to the fact that Geron doesn't want to do anything to upset the applecart with JNJ and just lets it all roll forward to deadline time period. He doesn't want to risk forcing JNJ's hand with exacting dates nor does he want to act too anxious or say anything wrong because Geron is not conducting these trials and they are in flux. Even Janssen is not up to date since this is a worldwide CT that needs periodic reporting. AST is not in this same situation and full control and can make easier determinations for transparency. I'm not making any excuses but just citing some real reasons it is more difficult for Geron. To get a taste of this, simply imagine you were in JS's shoes waiting on a decision with a big powerhouse Big Pharma. I've been in those type situations and you have to push forward with kids gloves and not force anything yet getting a tentative deadline period is a big improvement from before. Also, The CTs themselves are variable so do you want to rigidly force JNJ's hand as Janssen adapts to new endpoints or an expanded phase 2 trial to try to get a better results that can significantly affect the final JNJ decision. I think I can wait one year or less now after all this time waiting.
