Expands Intellectual Property Portfolio Supporting Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates
ATLANTA, GA - August 20, 2025 (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 (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 17/888,131, titled “Vaccines and Uses Thereof to Induce an Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2.”
The allowed claims broadly cover recombinant Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) viral vectors encoding multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins - including Spike (S), Membrane (M), and Envelope (E) antigens - configured to generate virus-like particles (VLPs) upon expression. These constructs are designed to induce both antibody and T-cell responses, providing durable and broad immune protection against current and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Key features of the allowed claims include:
- Multi-antigen design (Spike, Membrane, and Envelope proteins) to mimic the natural virus structure and induce robust immune responses.
- VLP formation within host cells, enabling presentation of antigens in their natural conformation for optimal immune recognition.
- Coverage of both ancestral strain sequences and variant-associated mutations (e.g., K417N/T, E484K, N501Y) to address immune escape.
David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented: “This Notice of Allowance represents an important strengthening of our intellectual property estate protecting our next-generation, multi-antigen COVID-19 vaccines. Unlike single-antigen vaccines, our MVA-based multi-antigen constructs are designed to elicit durable, broad-spectrum protection - even as the virus continues to evolve.”
About GeoVax’s Multi-Antigen COVID-19 Vaccine Portfolio
GeoVax is pioneering a differentiated, multi-antigen approach to COVID-19 vaccination. The newly allowed patent broadly covers constructs central to the Company’s CM01 and CM02 candidates, which express multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins to generate virus-like particles (VLPs) in vaccinated individuals. These vaccine designs are intended to provide broad and durable protection by engaging both arms of the immune system and countering immune escape by new viral variants.
Together with GEO-CM04S1, which is advancing through Phase 2 clinical trials in immunocompromised and healthy populations, CM01 and CM02 give GeoVax what CEO David Dodd describes as “the corner on the multi-antigen space.” This combined portfolio underscores GeoVax’s position as a leader in next-generation COVID-19 vaccine innovation, uniquely differentiated from single-antigen approaches such as mRNA vaccines.
About GeoVax
GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel vaccines against infectious diseases and therapies for solid tumor cancers. The Company’s lead clinical program is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine currently in three Phase 2 clinical trials, being evaluated as (1) 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, (2) a booster vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and (3) a more robust, durable COVID-19 booster among healthy patients who previously received the mRNA vaccines. In oncology the lead clinical program is evaluating a novel oncolytic solid tumor gene-directed therapy, Gedeptin®, having recently completed a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial for advanced head and neck cancers. GeoVax is also developing a vaccine targeting Mpox and smallpox and, based on recent EMA regulatory guidance, anticipates progressing directly to a Phase 3 clinical evaluation, omitting Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials. GeoVax has a strong IP portfolio in support of its technologies and product candidates, holding worldwide rights for its technologies and products. For more information about the current status of our clinical trials and other updates, 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.
Company Contact:
info@geovax.com
678-384-7220
Media Contact:
Jessica Starman
media@geovax.com