Presentation Made During the 24th Annual World Vaccine Congress

ATLANTA, GA, April  04, 2024  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced that its Chief Scientific Officer, Mark Newman, PhD, presented data on GEO-CM04S1, the Company's next-generation Covid-19 vaccine candidate, during the 24th Annual World Vaccine Congress in Washington, DC.

During his presentation, titled "Vaccine Induction of Broadly-Specific Antibody and T Cell Responses to Combat SARS-CoV-2 Variation", Dr. Newman described GeoVax's development program for GEO-CM04S1. The data presented were generated in collaboration with scientists at Georgia State University using the human ACE2 transgenic mice, one of the "gold standard" small animal models used for studying Covid vaccines. GEO-CM04S1 incorporates both the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens of SARS-CoV-2 and is specifically designed to induce broadly specific antibody and T cell responses. The animal studies were designed to characterize the contributions of immune responses to both the S and N and documented the additive effects, which were most evident in the control of disease and the associated lung inflammation and damage.

Dr. Newman commented after his presentation, "GEO-CM04S1 continues to meet our highest expectations, inducing immune system-based protection that is broadly specific and functional against Covid variants. I anticipate similar findings will be observed in our Phase 2 clinical trials as the studies are unblinded later this year."

About GEO-CM04S1

GEO-CM04S1 is based on GeoVax's MVA viral vector platform, which supports the presentation of multiple vaccine antigens to the immune system in a single dose. 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.

GEO-CM04S1 is currently 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. A recent presentation of unpublished data from the open-label portion of the trial indicates that GEO-CM04S1 is highly immunogenic in these patients, inducing both antibody responses, including neutralizing antibodies, and T cell responses.

• 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. This trial was fully enrolled in September 2023 and final results are expected in Fourth Quarter 2024, reflecting a 12-month tracking of study patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04639466.