The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for GeoVax Labs' patent application covering recombinant Modified Vaccinia Ankara viral vectors encoding multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The allowed claims protect vaccine constructs designed to generate virus-like particles that express Spike, Membrane, and Envelope antigens, mimicking the natural virus structure to induce both antibody and T-cell immune responses.
This intellectual property protection strengthens GeoVax's position in next-generation COVID-19 vaccine development, particularly for its CM01 and CM02 vaccine candidates. Unlike single-antigen vaccines such as mRNA vaccines, GeoVax's multi-antigen approach is engineered to provide durable, broad-spectrum protection against current and emerging variants, including those with mutations like K417N/T, E484K, and N501Y that enable immune escape.
David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, stated that this patent allowance represents significant reinforcement of the company's intellectual property estate. The technology's multi-antigen design and virus-like particle formation enable optimal immune recognition by presenting antigens in their natural conformation, potentially addressing limitations of current vaccines in immunocompromised populations.
The patent coverage extends to both ancestral strain sequences and variant-associated mutations, positioning GeoVax as a leader in multi-antigen COVID-19 vaccine innovation. This development comes as the company advances its GEO-CM04S1 vaccine through Phase 2 clinical trials for immunocompromised patients and healthy populations. For additional information about the company's clinical programs, visit https://www.geovax.com.
The allowance of this patent has implications for global pandemic preparedness, as it supports vaccine technologies that may better address viral evolution and provide longer-lasting immunity. This could reduce the need for frequent booster shots and improve protection for vulnerable populations who respond poorly to current vaccines.
