GeoVax Reports Progress on COVID-19 Vaccine and Cancer Therapy in Q3 2024

GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX) reported significant progress in its vaccine and immunotherapy programs during the third quarter of 2024, setting the stage for multiple clinical milestones in the coming months. The biotechnology company, which focuses on developing treatments for cancers and infectious diseases, is advancing its COVID-19 vaccine candidate GEO-CM04S1 in collaboration with BARDA's Project NextGen program.

The company is preparing to initiate a 10,000-participant Phase 2b clinical study comparing GEO-CM04S1 to an FDA-approved mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. This large-scale trial, supported by nearly $400 million in BARDA funding, represents a major step forward in GeoVax's COVID-19 vaccine development program. Additionally, the company expects to report interim results from two ongoing Phase 2 trials of GEO-CM04S1 in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a comparative trial in immunocompromised patients and a booster trial in healthy adults.

In oncology, GeoVax is advancing its Gedeptin therapy for head and neck cancers. The company plans to initiate a Phase 2 trial combining Gedeptin with an immune checkpoint inhibitor for first recurrent head and neck cancer in the first half of 2025. This trial aims to establish the efficacy of Gedeptin as a neoadjuvant therapy in approximately 36 patients.

GeoVax is also making progress on its Mpox and smallpox vaccine candidate, GEO-MVA. The company anticipates completing production of a cGMP clinical batch in the fourth quarter of 2024, positioning GeoVax to potentially become the first U.S.-based source for an Mpox vaccine.

The company reported a net loss of $5.8 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $8.4 million in the same period last year. Revenue from government contracts related to the BARDA award totaled $2.8 million for the quarter. GeoVax ended the quarter with cash balances of $8.6 million, up from $6.5 million at the end of 2023.

These developments underscore GeoVax's progress in addressing critical public health needs, from next-generation COVID-19 vaccines to novel cancer therapies and biodefense preparations. The coming months will be crucial as the company advances its clinical programs and potentially delivers important data readouts that could impact future treatment options for patients worldwide.