Benzinga | Dec 3, 2021 09:01AM EST

GeoVax Highlights Presentation Of Hemorrhagic Fever Vaccine Data At World Vaccine & Immunotherapy Congress

via NewMediaWire -- GeoVax Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOVX), a biotechnology company specializing in developing human vaccines and cancer immunotherapies, presented data from ongoing studies of its investigational vaccines against hemorrhagic fevers (Sudan, Ebola, & Marburg) at the recent World Vaccine & Immunotherapy Congress, held November 30 -- December 2 in San Diego, California. The presentation, titled "Design and Evaluation of Vaccines Against Hemorrhagic Fevers using the MVA-VLP Platform", was delivered by Mary Hauser, PhD, GeoVax Senior Scientist.

In her talk, Dr. Hauser discussed the preclinical efficacy of GeoVax's vaccines against Sudan (SUDV) and Marburg (MARV) viruses, two highly virulent filovirus strains that cause hemorrhagic fever. Using the GV-MVA-VLPTM platform, vaccines were engineered to express two proteins from the target pathogen resulting in the formation of virus-like particles that retain the native virus structure. Recent studies in lethal challenge guinea pig models demonstrated that GeoVax vaccines MVA-VLP-SUDV and MVA-VLP-MARV conferred 100% protection from death. These vaccines were subsequently evaluated in a rigorous cynomolgus macaque infectious challenge model. Vaccination protected nonhuman primates from viremia, weight loss and death following challenge with a dose of Sudan or Marburg virus that is lethal in nonvaccinated animals. Evaluation of immune responses following vaccination demonstrated presence of both neutralizing antibodies and functional T cells, indicating a breadth of responses that combine for optimal protection. Dr. Hauser's presentation is available on GeoVax's website at www.geovax.com/investors/events.

Mark Newman, PhD, GeoVax Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "The ability of vaccines based on the GV-MVA-VLP platform to induce protective immunity from such deadly pathogens is impressive. We believe these results support further development efforts with our partners and collaborators towards clinical evaluation to document safety and immunogenicity in humans."

This research project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds under a Preclinical Services Contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.