GeoVax Offers Vaccine Expertise and Candidates Amid Congo's Escalating Ebola Outbreak

As public health authorities grapple with the rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding regions, GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX) has underscored the potential relevance of its MVA-based hemorrhagic fever vaccine expertise. The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled this the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 4,300 cases and 2,000 deaths reported, and transmission continuing across challenging and conflict-affected areas. Currently, there is no approved vaccine specifically targeting Bundibugyo virus.

GeoVax, a biotechnology company developing vaccines and immunotherapies, brings extensive experience in developing vaccines against high-consequence hemorrhagic fever viruses using its Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) platform. The company's portfolio includes vaccine candidates targeting Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, and Marburg virus, all of which have shown encouraging protective efficacy in non-human primate lethal-challenge studies.

David Dodd, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GeoVax, emphasized the importance of having vaccine technologies ready before a crisis: "The rapidly escalating Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak underscores the importance of having vaccine technologies and capabilities available before a crisis occurs. We are prepared to engage with WHO, Africa CDC, national public health authorities and other appropriate organizations to determine whether our vaccine candidates, technology or scientific expertise could contribute to the response. Where appropriate, we are also willing to make relevant vaccine materials available for evaluation against Bundibugyo virus."

GeoVax's lead infectious disease priority remains GEO-MVA, its MVA-based vaccine being developed as an additional source of MVA vaccine capacity for mpox and smallpox prevention. The company is preparing to initiate a pivotal clinical development program based on an immunobridging accelerated regulatory pathway, with portions expected to be conducted in African regions confronting significant infectious disease challenges, including areas affected by the current Ebola outbreak. As part of these preparations, GeoVax is already engaging with healthcare, research, and public health organizations in the region, including those involved in the Ebola response. These relationships provide a natural opportunity to explore how GeoVax's scientific expertise, MVA platform capabilities, and existing hemorrhagic fever vaccine candidates could contribute to the broader public health response.

Dodd added, "Our relationships in the region are being developed first and foremost to advance GEO-MVA, but many of the organizations with whom we are engaging are simultaneously confronting this Ebola outbreak. Given our experience, we believe it is appropriate to ask how we might help. Any such effort would be pursued collaboratively while maintaining our operational and capital focus on GEO-MVA."

In parallel with GEO-MVA, GeoVax retains a portfolio of MVA-based hemorrhagic fever vaccine candidates that have demonstrated protective efficacy in animal challenge models, including non-human primate studies. These programs represent strategic optionality beyond GEO-MVA. The company is open to discussions on collaborations, licensing arrangements, public-private partnerships, and other strategic structures that could provide resources for further evaluation and development of these assets without diverting primary resources from GEO-MVA.

GeoVax believes its combination of MVA platform expertise, hemorrhagic fever vaccine candidates, and work to advance scalable MVA manufacturing provides a foundation for potential collaborations addressing Ebola and other emerging infectious disease threats. The company is committed to exploring ways to contribute to the global response while advancing its lead program.