GeoVax
Vaccine Being Developed as a Universal Vaccine to Address Evolving
SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Atlanta, GA - 
(NewMediaWire) - August 19, 2021 - GeoVax
Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company specializing in developing human
vaccines and cancer immunotherapies, today presented data from ongoing studies
of its preventive vaccine against COVID-19. The presentation titled, “Design of
a Universal SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Against Evolving Variants,” was delivered
virtually by Mark J. Newman, Ph.D., GeoVax’s Chief Scientific Officer, during
the European Society of Medicine (ESMED) General Assembly, being held August
19-21 in Berlin, Germany.
First-generation
SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were rapidly developed and have proven highly efficacious
in the human population and were designed to encode the prefusion stabilized
Spike protein (S) with the goal of inducing high levels of neutralizing
antibodies. However, potential limitations of narrowly focusing on S are
becoming apparent with emerging variants that partially escape neutralization
by vaccine induced antibodies. Thus, the effectiveness of these vaccines
against new SARS-CoV-2 variants and future coronavirus spillover events remains
in question.
Using
its novel Modified Virus Ankara - Virus Like Particle (GV-MVA-VLP™) platform,
GeoVax has developed a design strategy for vaccines expected to induce broader
immunity through inclusion of multiple structural and nonstructural proteins
from the target pathogen. The GV-MVA-VLP™ platform is known to elicit a
balanced humoral (antibody) and cellular response against a range of
immunogens, possibly making immune escape against emerging variants less
likely. Expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike, membrane and envelope proteins by
MVA supports the in vivo formation of virus like particles, or
VLPs, which induce both antibody and T-cell responses. Incorporation of
sequence-conserved nonstructural proteins can provide targets for T-cell
responses to increase the breadth and function of vaccine-induced immune responses.
This strategy provides the basis for generating a universal vaccine with
augmented potential to alleviate the burden of disease caused by circulating
coronaviruses.
In
his talk, Dr. Newman discussed GeoVax’s vaccine design strategy for developing
a universal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and presented stability and protein expression
data for the Company’s initial
vaccine candidate, GEO-CM02, which encodes the Spike (S), Membrane (M) and
Envelope (E) proteins. Dr. Newman also presented vaccine efficacy and
immunogenicity data for GEO-CM02 from hamster and transgenic mice studies to
date.
Dr.
Newman’s presentation is available on GeoVax’s website at www.geovax.com/investors/events.
Dr.
Newman commented, “Our studies to date support the use of MVA as a vector for
the design and production of next-generation vaccines encoding multiple
coronavirus proteins, using the S protein as the antibody target and the M and
E proteins as T-cell targets. The combination of S, M and E protein expression
supports VLP formation and optimal immunogenicity. In our studies, we
observed the induction of functional antibodies and T-cell responses that
mediate protection from infection and pathogenesis.”
David
Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, further commented, “The presentation of data
from this study further validates our platform and approach to addressing
COVID-19 and its variants. Our vaccines under development are intended to be
used as either a primary vaccine or to boost other COVID-19 vaccines as part of
vaccination strategies to provide immunity to a range of coronavirus variants.
We believe a critical and significant opportunity exists for a pan-coronavirus
vaccine with the attributes the GV-MVA-VLP™ technology can offer.”
About
GeoVax
GeoVax
Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing human vaccines
against infectious diseases and cancer using a novel patented Modified Vaccinia
Ankara-Virus Like Particle (MVA-VLP) based vaccine platform. On this platform,
MVA, a large virus capable of carrying several vaccine antigens, expresses
proteins that assemble into VLP immunogens in the person receiving the vaccine.
The production of VLPs in the person being vaccinated can mimic virus
production in a natural infection, stimulating both the humoral and cellular
arms of the immune system to recognize, prevent, and control the target
infection. The MVA-VLP derived vaccines can elicit durable immune responses in
the host similar to a live-attenuated virus, while providing the safety
characteristics of a replication-defective vector.
GeoVax’s
current development programs are focused on preventive vaccines against
COVID-19, HIV, Zika Virus, hemorrhagic fever viruses (Ebola, Sudan, Marburg,
and Lassa), and malaria, as well as therapeutic vaccines against multiple
cancers. The Company has designed a preventive HIV vaccine candidate to fight
against the subtype of HIV prevalent in the commercial markets of the Americas,
Western Europe, Japan, and Australia; human clinical trials for this program
are managed by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) with the support of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). GeoVax’s HIV vaccine is also part of a
collaborative effort toward a functional cure for HIV.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
release contains forward-looking statements regarding GeoVax’s business plans.
The words “believe,” “look forward to,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,”
“anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is
likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these
forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections
about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our
financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial
needs. Actual results may differ materially from those included in these
statements due to a variety of factors, including whether: GeoVax is able to obtain
acceptable results from additional tests of its preventive vaccine
against SARS-CoV-2, GeoVax’s vaccines can provoke the desired immune responses,
and those vaccines can be used effectively as a primary or booster to other
vaccines, GeoVax’s viral vector technology adequately amplifies immune
responses to cancer antigens, GeoVax can develop and manufacture its vaccines
with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax’s vaccines will be
safe for human use, GeoVax’s vaccines will effectively prevent targeted
infections in humans, GeoVax’s vaccines will receive regulatory approvals
necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to
complete vaccine development, there is development of competitive products that
may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax’s products, GeoVax will be
able to enter into favorable manufacturing and distribution agreements, and
other factors, over which GeoVax has no control.
Further
information on our risk factors is contained in our registration statement on
Form S-1 and the periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 10-K that we have filed
and will file with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein
speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could
cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not
possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly
update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by U.S. federal
securities law.
GeoVax Labs, Inc.
678-384-7220
investor@geovax.com
