80% Survival in Nonhuman Primates Observed in a Lethal Challenge Model

ATLANTA, GA, Nov.  30, 2023  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced the presentation of data from recent preclinical studies of its vaccine candidates against Marburg virus and Sudan virus.

The data were presented during the World Vaccine Congress, West Coast conference, being held in Santa Clara, CA from November 27-30, 2023. The presentation, titled "Design and evaluation of vaccines against hemorrhagic fevers using the MVA-VLP platform," was delivered by Jason Comer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB).

Mark Newman, Ph.D., GeoVax Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "We are highly encouraged by the results of these studies of our MARV vaccine candidate. It is also important to note that, by virtue of the MVA vector utilized in the design of this vaccine, it also provides the potential to protect against Mpox ("Monkeypox"), which is critically important in many regions of the world where MARV and other Ebola outbreaks occur."

In this presentation, Dr. Comer discussed UTMB's services for regulated, nonclinical studies, and he presented information about the Filoviridae family of viruses which include, among others, Ebola virus (EBOV), Sudan virus (SUDV) and Marburg virus (MARV). In his talk, Dr. Comer reviewed the preclinical efficacy studies of GeoVax's vaccine candidates for SUDV and MARV, which were contracted to UTMB through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) Preclinical Services.

Of particular interest, immunization with GeoVax's MARV vaccine candidate (MVA-VLP-MARV) conferred 80% survival in cynomolgus macaques following a challenge with a lethal dose of MARV. Vaccination protected nonhuman primates from viremia, weight loss and death. 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.

The work conducted by UTMB built upon earlier studies demonstrating that guinea pigs vaccinated with MVA-VLP-MARV were 100% protected against death and disease caused by the Angola strain of MARV. The vaccine induced immune responses were characterized by MARV-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies as well as other effector functions like antibody-dependent phagocytosis. The Angola strain is the most virulent strain of MARV characterized by a fatality rate of up to 90% in humans.

About GeoVax

GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies and vaccines for solid tumor cancers and many of the world's most threatening infectious diseases. The company's lead program in oncology is a novel oncolytic solid tumor gene-directed therapy, Gedeptin, presently in a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial for advanced head and neck cancers. GeoVax's lead infectious disease candidate is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine targeting high-risk immunocompromised patient populations. Currently in three Phase 2 clinical trials, GEO-CM04S1 is being evaluated as a primary vaccine for immunocompromised patients such as those suffering from hematologic cancers and other patient populations for whom the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines are insufficient, and as a booster vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In addition, GEO-CM04S1 is in a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the vaccine as a more robust, durable COVID-19 booster among healthy patients who previously received the mRNA vaccines. GeoVax has a leadership team who have driven significant value creation across multiple life science companies over the past several decades.