Genta first-quarter net loss increases to $166.6 million

Genta Incorporated (OTCBB: GETA) today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. Corporate highlights for the quarter included:

• Closed financing of convertible debt and warrants
• Initiated confirmatory Phase 2b trial of tesetaxel in 2^nd-line gastric cancer
• Initiated new clinical trial of tesetaxel using weekly dosing schedule
• Survival followup continued in AGENDA Phase 3 trial of Genasense® in advanced melanoma; completion expected Q1 2011
• Multiple abstracts accepted for ASCO presentations June 2010

Financial Results

The net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2010 was $(166.6) million, or $(0.76) per share, compared with a net loss of $(11.1) million, or $(0.64) per share, for the first quarter of 2009. At March 31, 2010, Genta had cash and cash equivalents totaling $19.6 million compared with $1.2 million at December 31, 2009. Net cash used in operating activities through March 31, 2010 was $2.3 million.

As previously reported, in March 2010, the Company closed on a financing, whereby it issued $25 million of units consisting of $20 million of various senior unsecured convertible notes, $5 million of senior secured convertible notes and warrants to purchase additional senior unsecured convertible notes of $10.0 million. The Company had direct access to $20 million of the proceeds, and the remaining $5 million of the proceeds were placed in a blocked account as collateral security for the $5 million of secured notes. Also in March 2010, three investors who had participated in our April 2009 financing, exercised their rights to acquire convertible notes of $0.9 million. There was an insufficient number of authorized shares of common stock in order to permit conversion of all of the notes and warrants associated with these transactions. Accordingly, the conversion obligation for the notes and warrants were classified as liabilities and measured at fair value on the balance sheet, resulting in a total non-cash expense of $153.8 million for the first quarter of 2010. The conversion feature liabilities and the warrant liabilities will be accounted for using mark-to-market accounting at each future reporting date until all the criteria for permanent equity have been met. The Company has filed a proxy with the Securities and Exchange Commission that seeks authorization from Genta's stockholders to authorize the Board of Directors to effect a reverse stock split that would among other effects provide sufficient equity to meet the permanent equity criteria.