Milestone Advances Clinical Readiness and Reinforces Urgent U.S. Need for Domestic MVA Vaccine Capacity

ATLANTA, GA - December 17, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and cancer, today announced the successful completion of fill-finish for the initial clinical batch of GEO-MVA, its next-generation Mpox/smallpox vaccine. The product has now entered final release evaluation, the concluding quality-control and compliance process required before shipment for clinical use, positioning the Company for Phase 3 immunobridging trial start-up activities in Q1 2026.

Clinical and Regulatory Milestone

Fill-finish - the sterile, cGMP-regulated process of filling, sealing, and packaging vaccine vials - marks the last manufacturing step before a vaccine may enter clinical study supply channels. With fill-finish complete and GEO-MVA now undergoing final release evaluation, GeoVax has moved into the final pre-clinical-deployment phase of its EMA-aligned clinical program.

In June 2025, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Scientific Advice confirmed that a single Phase 3 immunobridging study demonstrating immune comparability to the approved MVA vaccine, Imvanex®, would be sufficient to evaluate GEO-MVA’s efficacy. This provides a clear, accelerated regulatory path to licensure.

Strengthening U.S. and Global Pandemic Preparedness

This milestone coincides with increasing Mpox activity globally - including expanding Clade I outbreaks in Africa and emerging cases in the United States - exposing vulnerabilities associated with global dependence on a sole foreign MVA vaccine supplier. GEO-MVA is designed to expand supply, diversify sources, and strengthen biodefense infrastructure.

David Dodd, Chairman & CEO of GeoVax, commented: “Completion of fill-finish for GEO-MVA and progression into final release evaluation represent critical steps toward Phase 3 initiation and a pivotal advancement in our mission to support U.S. and global health security. America cannot remain dependent on a single foreign manufacturer for MVA-based biodefense vaccines. GEO-MVA provides a clear path toward a diversified and domestically controlled second-source supply - an essential component of modern pandemic preparedness. This milestone also underscores the strong operational progress we are delivering for our shareholders and partners.”

About GEO-MVA

GEO-MVA is a Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based Mpox/smallpox vaccine designed to expand global vaccine availability at a time of constrained stockpiles and growing demand for resilient, scalable, and geographically diversified manufacturing capacity. GEO-MVA is a core asset within GeoVax’s broader MVA platform, which also includes next-generation COVID-19 and other infectious disease programs.

About GeoVax

GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel vaccines against infectious diseases and therapies for solid tumor cancers. The Company’s lead clinical program is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine currently in three Phase 2 clinical trials, being evaluated as (1) a primary vaccine for immunocompromised patients such as those suffering from hematologic cancers and other patient populations for whom the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines are insufficient, (2) a booster vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and (3) a more robust, durable COVID-19 booster among healthy patients who previously received the mRNA vaccines. In oncology the lead clinical program is evaluating a novel oncolytic solid tumor gene-directed therapy, Gedeptin®, having recently completed a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial for advanced head and neck cancers. GeoVax is also developing a vaccine targeting Mpox and smallpox and, based on recent EMA regulatory guidance, anticipates progressing directly to a Phase 3 clinical evaluation, omitting Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials. GeoVax has a strong IP portfolio in support of its technologies and product candidates, holding worldwide rights for its technologies and products. For more information about the current status of our clinical trials and other updates, visit our website: 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 

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