GeoVax Commends Federal Smallpox Vaccine Buy, Boosts U.S. Biodefense

In a significant move underscoring the U.S. government's unwavering commitment to biodefense, a recent federal procurement of additional ACAM2000® smallpox vaccine from Emergent BioSolutions has reinforced the strategic importance of sustained investment in domestic vaccine manufacturing and diversified medical countermeasures. GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has commented on this development, highlighting that the award aligns with long-term national preparedness objectives rather than short-term outbreak cycles. David Dodd, Chairman and CEO of GeoVax, emphasized that continued federal investment in orthopox preparedness underscores the need for resilient manufacturing capacity, diversified vaccine supply, and regulatory readiness. This environment, he believes, strongly supports the accelerated development of GEO-MVA, GeoVax's Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine candidate for mpox and smallpox, through its expedited regulatory pathway and the expansion of U.S.-based MVA vaccine manufacturing.

The announcement arrives amid an evolving global health security landscape marked by recurring mpox outbreaks, the emergence of high-consequence infectious diseases, and a renewed emphasis on domestic production of critical medical countermeasures. These trends collectively reinforce the importance of maintaining a resilient and diversified biodefense infrastructure capable of responding to both naturally occurring outbreaks and potential biological threats. GeoVax views the continued emphasis on orthopox preparedness, combined with recent federal initiatives supporting domestic production, as strategically aligned with the objectives of its GEO-MVA program and the broader goal of strengthening America's medical countermeasure infrastructure.

GeoVax's GEO-MVA program is designed to provide a U.S.-manufactured, non-replicating MVA vaccine to bolster public health and biodefense preparedness. Following positive scientific advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), GeoVax is pursuing an expedited clinical development strategy utilizing immunobridging to an approved MVA vaccine, enabling the program to advance directly into a single, registrational Phase 3 study without traditional Phase 1 or Phase 2 trials. The pivotal Phase 3 study is scheduled to initiate in the fourth quarter of 2026, with data readout of the immunobridging portion anticipated by mid-2027. This program aims to expand domestic manufacturing capacity, strengthen orthopoxvirus vaccine supply resilience, and complement broader U.S. and international preparedness efforts by providing an additional source of MVA vaccine. For more information, visit www.geovax.com.