UPDATE 1-Geron: interim data shows cancer vaccine meets goals

* Met goals of safety, tolerability

* 14 out of 20 patients remain in complete remission

* Vaccine found to be safe, generally well-tolerated

* Shares up about 6 pct

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Biopharmaceutical company Geron Corp (GERN.O) said interim data from a mid-stage trial showed its cancer vaccine met the goals of safety and tolerability, sending its shares up about 6 percent before the bell.

Geron's cancer vaccine GRNVAC1 targets telomerase, an enzyme which is found in many malignant tumors. The vaccine is designed to induce an immune response to tumor cells, which express telomerase on their surface.

The mid-stage trial was designed to evaluate the feasibility of GRNVAC1 manufacture and the safety and tolerability of the vaccination regimen.

The trial was studying patients who are in complete clinical remission from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

20 patients have received GRNVAC1 product in the study and one patient relapsed prior to vaccination, the company said.

The company said 14 out of 20 patients in the study remain in complete clinical remission (CR) and the median duration of CR, including the patients who have relapsed, is 12 months.

GRNVAC1 was found to be safe and generally well tolerated over multiple vaccinations, the company added.

Shares of Geron closed at $5.78 Monday on Nasdaq. They were trading at $6.10 before the bell. (Reporting by Jennifer Robin Raj in Bangalore; Editing by Aradhana Aravindan)