Augusta, GA — August 7, 2025 — Leads & Copy — GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX) has responded to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) decision to terminate nearly $500 million in BARDA-funded mRNA vaccine development contracts, highlighting the potential of its GEO-CM04S1 vaccine to overcome HHS-cited mRNA deficiencies.
According to HHS Secretary Kennedy, mRNA vaccines don’t perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract due to antigenic shift, which can encourage new mutations and prolong pandemics. GeoVax’s vaccine candidates, including GEO-CM04S1 for COVID-19, are designed to induce immunity using multiple antigens, expressing both the Spike (S) and Nucleocapsid (N) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 for broader and more durable protection.
Clinical studies have shown that GEO-CM04S1 induces immune responses across variants, even in immunocompromised patients. GeoVax CEO David Dodd stated that their platform was designed to overcome the limitations of the single-target mRNA approach, with GEO-CM04S1 demonstrating broader immunity.
GeoVax’s MVA-based vaccines offer multi-antigen breadth and durability, with GEO-CM04S1 inducing robust antibody and T-cell immunity in Phase 2 trials. The MVA platform is also safe for vulnerable populations, as it does not replicate in human cells and has been FDA-approved for use in immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and children.
Furthermore, GeoVax is advancing manufacturing processes for MVA-based vaccines, which is expected to support scalable, decentralized U.S. vaccine manufacturing. Beyond COVID-19, GeoVax is pursuing MVA-based vaccines targeting hemorrhagic fever viruses, Zika, and Mpox/Smallpox.
GeoVax urges HHS to support evidence-backed alternatives like MVA as part of a diversified biomedical countermeasure arsenal and invites collaboration under the FDA’s Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program to accelerate support for GEO-CM04S1 and GEO-MVA.
Company Contact:
info@geovax.com
678-384-7220
Media Contact:
Jessica Starman
media@geovax.com
Source: GeoVax Labs, Inc.
