ATLANTA, GA, Oct.  09, 2023  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Application No. 17/584,231 titled "Replication-Deficient Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) Expressing Marburg Virus Glycoprotein (GP) and Matrix Protein (VP40)." The allowed claims generally cover GeoVax's vector platform for expressing Marburg virus antigens in virus-like particles (VLPs) utilizing an MVA viral vector.

A recent presentation of data from nonhuman primate studies demonstrated that immunization with GeoVax's vaccine candidate, GEO-MM01, conferred 80% survival in cynomolgus macaques following a lethal dose of Marburg virus. Vaccination protected from viremia, weight loss and death following challenge with a lethal Marburg virus dose. Evaluation of immune responses following vaccination demonstrated the presence of both neutralizing antibodies and functional T cells, indicating a breadth of responses that combine for optimal protection. GeoVax is currently evaluating study designs to assess the potential for administering different dose levels of the vaccine and different routes of vaccine delivery to optimize utility and efficacy.

David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, "While our focus and development priorities continue to be our next-generation COVID-19 vaccine and cancer immunotherapy programs, developing vaccines against lethal hemorrhagic fever viruses represents our commitment to addressing highly fatal endemic threats throughout the world. Our team is committed to supporting the successful advancement of such a vaccine, as we recognize the critically important medical and biodefense need, reflected by the inclusion of Marburg virus in the FDA Priority Review Voucher program. This patent allowance adds to our growing portfolio of wholly owned, co-owned, and in-licensed intellectual property, now standing at over 115 granted or pending patent applications spread over 24 patent families."