Benzinga | Oct 14, 2021 09:07AM EDT

GeoVax Receives Notice Of Allowance For Ebola Vaccine Patent

GeoVax Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOVX), a biotechnology company developing human immunotherapies and vaccines against infectious diseases and cancer, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Application No. 15/543,139 entitled "Replication-Deficient Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) Expressing Ebola Virus Glycoprotein (GP) and Matrix Protein (VP40)."

GeoVax has demonstrated that a single intramuscular (IM) dose of its vaccine candidate, GEO-EM01, provided 100% protection in rhesus macaques challenged with a lethal dose of Ebola virus (EBOV). This is the first report that a replication-deficient MVA vector can confer full protection against a lethal EBOV challenge after a single-dose vaccination in macaques. GEO-EM01 is based on the Company's novel Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) Virus-Like Particle (VLP) platform, which generates noninfectious VLPs in the individual being vaccinated. VLPs mimic a natural infection, triggering the body to produce a robust and durable immune response with both antibodies and T cells.

In addition to its vaccine for EBOV, GeoVax is also developing preventive vaccines for other hemorrhagic fever viruses highly lethal to humans. In July 2021, the Company announced results of preclinical efficacy studies of its Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) vaccine candidate, in which a single dose of the vaccine protected 100% of animals challenged with a lethal dose of SUDV. This is the first report that a replication-deficient MVA vector may confer full protection against SUDV after a single dose. This work was conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Separately, GeoVax is leading a multi-party collaboration for the development of its SUDV and Marburg virus (MARV) vaccine candidates. The collaboration, between GeoVax, researchers at UTMB and Battelle Memorial Institute, utilizes the suite of preclinical services from NIAID. Under the collaboration, GeoVax's SUDV and MARV vaccine candidates are being tested for immunogenicity and efficacy in the benchmark nonhuman primate model. Additionally, GeoVax's vaccine against Lassa Fever virus (LASV) is progressing in preclinical studies with funding support from the U.S. Department of Defense.

David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, "While our corporate focus and development priorities continue to be our COVID-19 vaccine and cancer immunotherapy programs, developing vaccines against lethal hemorrhagic fever viruses is also of interest and under consideration as part of our longer-term focus. This patent allowance adds to our growing portfolio of wholly owned, co-owned, and in-licensed intellectual property, which now stands at over 70 granted or pending patent applications spread over 20 patent families."