GeoVax Announces Issuance of Malaria Vaccine Patent
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Insights
The issuance of Patent No. 11,857,611 to GeoVax Labs represents a significant development within the biotechnology sector, particularly in the field of vaccine research and development. The patent covers a multi-component vaccine leveraging GeoVax's modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vector to express Plasmodium antigens, aiming to induce an immune response to malaria. This approach is notable because it targets multiple stages of the malaria parasite's life cycle, a strategy that could potentially overcome the limitations of previous vaccine candidates that focused on individual proteins and single-stage targets.
The patent's scope, covering both prophylactic and therapeutic use, suggests versatility and could position GeoVax to address a broader market need. Considering the World Health Organization's statistics on the global burden of malaria, with over 600,000 deaths annually, the successful development and deployment of such a vaccine could have a substantial impact on public health and open up significant commercial opportunities for GeoVax. However, the path from patent to product involves rigorous clinical trials and regulatory hurdles, which will be critical in determining the vaccine's efficacy, safety and market potential.
The economic implications of GeoVax's patented malaria vaccine technology are multifaceted. On one hand, the introduction of an effective malaria vaccine could lead to considerable cost savings for healthcare systems globally, especially in regions where malaria is endemic. Reducing the incidence of malaria would decrease the direct costs associated with treatment and the indirect costs related to loss of productivity and economic growth.
On the other hand, the development of this vaccine could also stimulate economic activity through the creation of jobs in manufacturing, distribution and ongoing research. It is important to consider the investment required for such an endeavor, as well as the potential for public-private partnerships to facilitate funding and distribution. The long-term economic benefits hinge on the vaccine's adoption rate, which will be influenced by its affordability, accessibility and integration into existing public health initiatives.
The scientific community's pursuit of an effective malaria vaccine has been challenging due to the complexity of the Plasmodium parasite and its lifecycle. GeoVax's approach, utilizing a multi-antigen strategy with its MVA vector, is designed to elicit a broad immune response, including the production of functional antibodies and T cell responses (both CD4+ and CD8+). This comprehensive immune response is critical for tackling the various stages of the parasite's lifecycle.
While the patent's issuance is a positive step, the true test lies in clinical outcomes. The vaccine's ability to induce long-lasting immunity and provide cross-protection against different strains of Plasmodium will be key factors in its success. Additionally, the scalability of vaccine production and its stability in diverse environmental conditions are important considerations for widespread deployment, particularly in tropical regions where malaria is most prevalent.
Patent Covers Multiple Component Vaccine for Both Prevention and Treatment
ATLANTA, GA, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent No. 11,857,611 to GeoVax, pursuant to the Company’s patent application No. 17/726,254 titled “Compositions and Methods for Generating an Immune Response to Treat or Prevent Malaria.”
The claims granted by the patent generally cover compositions comprising GeoVax’s modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vector expressing Plasmodium antigens and methods of inducing an immune response to malaria utilizing the compositions. The compositions and methods covered in the claims are useful both prophylactically and therapeutically and may be used to prevent and/or treat malaria.
David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, “During 2023, there were the first cases of locally transmitted malaria reported in the United States in 20 years, with cases reported in Florida, Maryland and Texas. Worldwide, there are over 600,000 deaths annually attributed to malaria. This patent represents a potentially significant advance against a most critical deadly threat worldwide. While our focus and priority is to support our clinical-stage programs, we also remain strongly committed to improving public health worldwide and developing vaccines against global public health threats, such as malaria, as a part of our long-term vision for the company.”
According to data from the World Health Organization, globally, malaria causes 227 million infections and 619,000 deaths annually. Despite decades of vaccine research, vaccine candidates have failed to induce substantial protection. Most of these vaccines are based on individual proteins that induce immune responses targeting only one stage of the malaria parasite’s life cycle. GeoVax’s MVA-VLP malaria vaccine candidates incorporate antigens derived from multiple stages of the parasite’s life cycle and are designed to induce an immune response with durable functional antibodies and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses, all hallmarks of an ideal vaccine-induced immune response.
About GeoVax
GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies and vaccines for solid tumor cancers and many of the world’s most threatening infectious diseases. The company’s lead program in oncology is a novel oncolytic solid tumor gene-directed therapy, Gedeptin®, presently in a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial for advanced head and neck cancers. GeoVax’s lead infectious disease candidate is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine targeting high-risk immunocompromised patient populations. Currently in three Phase 2 clinical trials, GEO-CM04S1 is being evaluated as 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, and as a booster vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In addition, GEO-CM04S1 is in a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the vaccine as a more robust, durable COVID-19 booster among healthy patients who previously received the mRNA vaccines. GeoVax has a leadership team who have driven significant value creation across multiple life science companies over the past several decades. For more information, 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: | Investor Relations Contact: | Media Contact: | ||
| info@geovax.com | paige.kelly@sternir.com | sr@roberts-communications.com | ||
| 678-384-7220 | 212-698-8699 | 202-779-0929 |
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