GeoVax COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Data Presented at World Vaccine Congress

Presentation of Data from Phase 2 Open-Label Study of GEO-CM04S1

Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccine Demonstrates Potent Antibody and Cellular Immunity in Immunocompromised Patients

ATLANTA, GA, Nov. 28, 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 the active development program for its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine (GEO-CM04S1), including Phase 2 clinical trial data. The data include some of which was recently published in the journal Vaccines and can be accessed here: GEO-CM04S1 Publication.

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 “COVID-19 Vaccines for Immunocompromised Patients,” was delivered by Don Diamond, PhD, Professor, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.

David Dodd, GeoVax Chairman and CEO, commented, “Safeguarding individuals at the highest risk in our society requires the development of next-generation COVID-19 vaccines. Ideally, these vaccines should induce enhanced immune responses after the first dose, provide long-lasting protection, and effectively address the ongoing emergence of new variants. Current mRNA vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies often fall short in quickly delivering sufficient protective immunity to immunocompromised patients. Given the persistent evolution of variants, the public health community faces a continuous challenge to mitigate the impact of infections, ultimately minimizing the risks of severe illness, hospitalizations, and mortality. Vaccines like GEO-CM04S1, designed to be "variant-agnostic," are becoming increasingly vital in addressing these risks, protecting the most vulnerable populations, and bolstering our ability to combat infectious threats effectively.”

In his presentation, Dr. Diamond described the immune response analyses conducted on the open-label portion of the Phase 2 trial, indicating that GEO-CM04S1 is highly immunogenic in these immunocompromised patients, inducing potent humoral (antibody) and cellular (T cell) responses, including neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 ancestral virus and variants of concern and the highly immune-evasive Omicron XBB 1.5 variant.

The Phase 2 clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04977024) is evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of GEO-CM04S1, compared to either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna mRNA-based vaccine, in patients who have previously received either an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant, an autologous hematopoietic cell transplant or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. These patients have significantly compromised immune system function as the result of their treatment and are at exceptionally high risk for COVID. They must be re-vaccinated and will benefit greatly from the types of immune responses induced by the GEO-CM04S1 vaccine, both the antibodies and T cells.

About GEO-CM04S1

GEO-CM04S1 is a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine based on GeoVax’s MVA viral vector platform, which supports the presentation of multiple vaccine antigens to the immune system in a single dose. First-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines based on the spike (S) protein have demonstrated that they induce neutralizing antibodies, providing effective, albeit short-term levels of immune protection. Unfortunately, with the existing authorized vaccines, efficacy is disrupted by emerging variants that contribute to neutralizing antibody evasion, requiring continuous updating and booster doses. To address this limitation, GeoVax is currently evaluating its dual antigen COVID-19 vaccine, GEO-CM04S1 in three Phase 2 clinical trials.  GEO-CM04S1 encodes for both the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens of SARS-CoV-2 and is specifically designed to induce both antibody and T cell responses to those parts of the virus less likely to mutate over time. The more broadly functional engagement of the immune system is designed to protect against severe disease caused by continually emerging variants of COVID-19. Vaccines of this format should not require frequent and repeated modification or updating. Moreover, GEO-CM04S1 is being developed specifically as a COVID-19 vaccine in support of patients with compromised immune systems, for whom the current authorized vaccines can be inadequate in providing protective immunity.

GEO-CM04S1, is being evaluated in three ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials:
·         As a primary vaccine in immunocompromised patients (with hematologic cancers receiving cell transplants or CAR-T therapy). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04977024. GeoVax recently announced clinical site expansion for this trial.
·         As a booster vaccine in immunocompromised patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a recognized high-risk group for whom current mRNA vaccines and monoclonal antibody (MAb) therapies appear inadequate relative to providing protective immunity. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05672355.
·         As a booster vaccine for healthy patients who have previously received the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04639466. GeoVax recently announced that this trial has fully enrolled.

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. For more information, visit our website: www.geovax.com.

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 ongoing or future clinical trials of its investigational products, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines can provoke the desired responses, and those products or vaccines can be used effectively, GeoVax’s viral vector technology adequately amplifies immune responses to cancer antigens, GeoVax can develop and manufacture its immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax’s vaccines will effectively prevent targeted infections in humans, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will receive regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to complete 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 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 law.