Company Highlights Potential Role of MVA-Based Vaccine Technologies in Addressing Emerging Hemorrhagic Fever Threats, Including Ebola and Marburg Viruses

ATLANTA, GA - May 20, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and cancer, today commented on the rapidly evolving Bundibugyo Ebola virus (BDBV) outbreak in Central Africa and the broader implications for global infectious disease preparedness and biodefense infrastructure.

The recent declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) related to the outbreak has intensified concerns regarding global readiness for emerging viral threats, particularly less common Ebola species for which no broadly licensed vaccines currently exist.

GeoVax noted that its MVA-based hemorrhagic fever vaccine development programs have previously demonstrated encouraging preclinical protection signals across multiple filovirus targets, including Ebola and Marburg viruses. Key findings from previously completed studies include:

• MVA-EBOV (Zaire Ebola): Demonstrated single-dose protection against lethal Zaire Ebola virus challenge in non-human primates, supporting the potential of MVA-based rapid-response filovirus vaccines.
• MVA-SUDV (Sudan Ebola): Demonstrated protective efficacy in multiple preclinical challenge models, including single-dose protection in guinea pigs and survival benefit in non-human primates.
• MVA-MARV (Marburg): Demonstrated significant survival protection in rigorous non-human primate challenge studies, supporting further development of MVA-based Marburg vaccine strategies.

“These outbreaks collectively reinforce a growing reality: preparedness against one viral strain does not necessarily ensure preparedness against the next,” said David A. Dodd. “The world is entering an era of continuous infectious disease emergence and re-emergence, where scalable vaccine platforms, diversified manufacturing capabilities, and flexible biodefense infrastructure will become increasingly important.”

Unlike prior Ebola outbreaks involving the Zaire ebolavirus species, the current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species, which presently lacks a specifically approved vaccine for broad deployment. Public health experts have increasingly noted that the outbreak exposes limitations in existing strain-specific preparedness strategies and reinforces the importance of adaptable vaccine technologies capable of addressing multiple high-consequence pathogens.

The Company believes that MVA-based vaccine platforms may offer several important strategic advantages in responding to emerging infectious disease threats, including:

• established safety and tolerability profiles,
• flexibility for incorporation of multiple antigens,
• potential applicability across multiple viral families,
• suitability for rapid adaptation, and
• the potential for development of multivalent single-dose vaccine approaches targeting multiple hemorrhagic fever pathogens simultaneously.

“Outbreaks involving Ebola, mpox, Marburg, hantavirus, and other emerging pathogens collectively reinforce the growing need for platform technologies capable of supporting rapid response against evolving threats,” added Mr. Dodd. “The lessons emerging from the current outbreak extend beyond Ebola itself and increasingly point toward the need for resilient, scalable, geographically distributed vaccine manufacturing capacity and second-source biodefense preparedness.”

GeoVax is currently advancing GEO-MVA, its MVA-based vaccine candidate targeting mpox and smallpox, designed to support growing global demand for orthopox preparedness while contributing to the development of domestic U.S.-based MVA manufacturing capability. The pivotal Phase 3 immunobridging study of GEO-MVA, in support of an expedited regulatory path provided by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), is scheduled to initiate in Q4 2026, with data results anticipated within approximately three months following trial initiation.

The Company believes the broader strategic relevance of MVA-based technologies continues to expand as governments and public health organizations increasingly prioritize:

• supply-chain resilience,
• domestic manufacturing,
• flexible vaccine platforms, and
• preparedness against multiple emerging infectious disease threats.

About GeoVax

GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of vaccines and immunotherapies addressing high-consequence infectious diseases and solid tumor cancers. GeoVax’s priority program is GEO-MVA, a Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)–based vaccine targeting mpox and smallpox. The program is advancing under an expedited regulatory pathway, with plans to initiate a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in the second half of 2026, to address critical global needs for expanded orthopoxvirus vaccine supply and biodefense preparedness. In oncology, GeoVax is developing Gedeptin®, a gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) designed to enhance immune checkpoint inhibitor activity. Gedeptin has completed a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial in advanced head and neck cancer and is being advanced into combination strategies, including planned neoadjuvant and first-line settings. GeoVax’s broader pipeline includes the development of GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate being evaluated in immunocompromised and other patient populations. GeoVax maintains a global intellectual property portfolio supporting its infectious disease and oncology programs and continues to evaluate strategic partnerships and funding opportunities aligned with its development priorities. For more information, visit www.geovax.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements regarding GeoVax’s business plans. The words “believe,” “look forward to,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Actual results may differ materially from those included in these statements due to a variety of factors, including whether: GeoVax is able to obtain acceptable results from ongoing or future clinical trials of its investigational products, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines can provoke the desired responses, and those products or vaccines can be used effectively, GeoVax’s viral vector technology adequately amplifies immune responses to cancer antigens, GeoVax can develop and manufacture its immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax’s vaccines will effectively prevent targeted infections in humans, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will receive regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to complete development, there is development of competitive products that may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax’s products, GeoVax will be able to enter into favorable manufacturing and distribution agreements, and other factors, over which GeoVax has no control.

Further information on our risk factors is contained in our periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 10-K that we have filed and will file with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Company Contact:
info@geovax.com
678-384-7220

Media Contact:
Jessica Starman
media@geovax.com

View the original release on www.newmediawire.com

This contant was orignally distributed by NewMediaWire. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is GeoVax Comments on Escalating Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak and Growing Need for Flexible Biodefense Vaccine Platforms.