Health & Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. Confirms Shift To Working On ‘Multiple Antigen Vaccines’ During CBS Interview – $NVAX $GOVX $XBI

In his first network TV interview since becoming Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke with CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook about a range of topics, including measles, food additives, weight loss drugs & their shift away from single antigen COVID-19 vaccines i.e. Novavax (NVAX)’s vaccine for COVID-19 towards the development of multiple antigen COVID-19 vaccines. A multiple antigen vaccine is a single vaccine that contains two or more antigens targeting a particular infectious disease such as COVID-19. Such vaccines are designed to provide immune protection by inducing both the antibody and cellular (e.g., T-cells) immunity providing a more robust and durable immune protection, utilizing both “arms of the immune system”.  This differs from a combination vaccine which may incorporate two or more vaccines against different infectious targets in a single injection, such as targeting DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and DTap-Hib. You can learn more by watching the interview here: 

One such company that could benefit from RFK, Jr.’s / HHS ‘s shifting priorities towards multiple antigen vaccines is GeoVax labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases.  GeoVax’s infectious disease vaccines are based upon a vaccine platform that allows for multiple antigens to be included into the single vaccine construct, unlike other vaccine platforms such as mRNA, protein adjuvant and other vaccine platform technologies, most of which are restricted to allowing a single antigen inclusion in a vaccine.  This is possible through the use of the company’s MVA vaccine platform, a large virus capable of incorporating multiple antigens into a vaccine platform. Utilizing MVA, as a vaccine vector, allows for the targeting of multiple sites on a pathogen or even a cancer cell. Doing this is intended to result in a more robust and durable protective immune response. In addition, using MVA as a vaccine platform allows for the construction of vaccines which are capable of generating virus-like particles (VLPs) in the person receiving the vaccine. The production of VLPs in the person being vaccinated is intended to mimic viral production that occurs in a natural infection, stimulating both the humoral (antibody) and cellular (T-cell) arms of the immune system to recognize, prevent, and control future infections.

MVA vectored vaccines can elicit durable (long-acting) immune responses while also possessing an excellent safety profile. MVA-VLP vaccines are designed to mimic authentic viruses in form but are not infectious or capable of replicating. As a result, VLPs can cause the body’s immune system to recognize and kill targeted infectious agents to prevent an infection or can be designed to target cancerous cells resulting in inhibited growth or destruction of tumors. VLPs can also train the immune system to recognize and kill virus-infected cells to control infection and reduce the length and severity of disease.

One of the biggest challenges with developing traditional VLP-based vaccines is the manufacture and collection of the VLPs utilizing traditional manufacturing equipment. In contrast, by utilizing the GeoVax approach, designing the vaccine to produce VLPs in the body of the vaccinated individual, many of the manufacturing challenges, issues, and costs are avoided.

GeoVax designs their MVA-VLP vaccines such that, when VLPs for viruses like Ebola or Marburg are produced in vivo (in the cells of the recipient), they present the viral protein antigens to the host cells in a manner similar to those of a natural infection.

In summary, the GeoVax MVA vaccine platform is believed to provide several benefits and advantages:

• Safety:  Safety for MVA has been demonstrated as a smallpox vaccine in more than 120,000 subjects, including immunocompromised individuals. In human clinical trials, our HIV vaccine candidate has demonstrated outstanding safety.
• Durability:  Our technology can promote highly durable (long-lasting) vaccine responses, lasting up to one year.
• Limited pre-existing immunity to vector:  Pre-existing immunity is a condition where a vaccinated patient’s response is muted due to prior exposure to a virus. The risk of pre-existing immunity to MVA is considered low as MVA vaccines against smallpox ended in most countries in the mid-1970s following the successful worldwide eradication of smallpox.
• Ability to generate VLPs in the patient:  Non-infectious VLPs can more closely mimic natural infections resulting in activation of both the humoral and cellular arms of the immune system.
• Protection against Mpox and smallpox:  MVA vectored vaccines have been shown to maintain the inherent activity of MVA against Mpox and smallpox.
• Long-term product stability:  MVA formats provide more than 6 years of storage.
• Distribution advantages:  MVA does not require ultra-cold storage conditions and can be lyophilized (freeze-dried) which can simplify vaccine product distribution and administration. 

More on Advanced High-Capacity Manufacturing of MVA-based Vaccines

Continues to Strengthen its Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense Vaccine Portfolio

On April 9, 2025, GeoVax announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Application No. 18/394,555 titled “Replication-Deficient Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) Expressing Marburg Virus Glycoprotein (GP) and Matrix Protein (VP40).” The allowed claims generally cover prevention of Marburg virus infection utilizing GeoVax’s proprietary MVA-based Marburg vaccine. Previous presentations of data from nonhuman primate studies demonstrated that immunization with GeoVax’s vaccine candidate, GEO-MM01, conferred 80% survival in cynomolgus macaques following a lethal dose of Marburg virus. Vaccination protected from viremia, weight loss and death following challenge with a lethal Marburg virus dose. Evaluation of immune responses following vaccination demonstrated the presence of both neutralizing antibodies and functional T cells, indicating a breadth of responses that combine for optimal protection. GeoVax is currently evaluating study designs to assess the potential for administering different dose levels of the vaccine and different routes of vaccine delivery to optimize utility and efficacy. Marburg virus (MARV) is a hemorrhagic fever virus of the Filoviridae family, which also includes Ebola virus (Ebvola Zaire and Ebola Sudan), and causes severe human disease with up to a 90% fatality rate. The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats, and human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids, or contaminated surfaces and materials. MARV is rated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Risk Group 4 Pathogen. In the United States, the NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ranks it as a Category A Priority Pathogen and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists it as a Category A Bioterrorism Agent. MARV typically appears in sporadic outbreaks throughout Africa and the virus continues to pose potential public health and biodefense threats. There are currently no licensed vaccines or therapeutics against the diseases caused by MARV.

David Dodd, GeoVax Labs., Inc. (NASDAQ: GOVX) President and CEO

David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, “While our focus and development priorities continue to be our next-generation COVID-19 vaccine, our Mpox/smallpox vaccine and cancer immunotherapy programs, developing vaccines against lethal hemorrhagic fever viruses represents our commitment to addressing highly fatal endemic threats throughout the world. Such viruses have mortality rates between 50%-90% depending on the specific virus strain. Our team is committed to supporting the successful advancement of such a vaccine, as we recognize the critically important medical and biodefense need, reflected by the inclusion of Marburg virus in the FDA Priority Review Voucher program. Within the critically needed area of hemorrhagic fever viruses, GeoVax has successfully developed vaccine candidates addressing Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan and Marburg, all having demonstrated impressive results when evaluated in non-human primates. The USPTO’s recognition of our Marburg vaccine technology further validates our approach and underscores the growing value of our wholly owned, co-owned, and in-licensed intellectual property estate, now standing at over 135 granted or pending patent applications spread over 23 patent families. Our focus extends beyond individual product candidates—we are building a broad, durable defense platform against hemorrhagic fever viruses. We believe this strategy, supported by compelling preclinical data and prioritized by global health authorities, positions GeoVax to play a central role in pandemic preparedness and biodefense.”

More About GeoVax

GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel vaccines for many of the world’s most threatening infectious diseases and therapies for solid tumor cancers. The company’s lead clinical program is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine for which GeoVax was recently awarded a BARDA-funded contract to sponsor a 10,000-participant Phase 2b clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of GEO-CM04S1 versus an approved COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, GEO-CM04S1 is 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. A Phase 2 clinical trial in first recurrent head and neck cancer, evaluating Gedeptin^® combined with an immune checkpoint inhibitor is planned. GeoVax has a strong IP portfolio in support of its technologies and product candidates, holding worldwide rights for its technologies and products. The Company has a leadership team who have driven significant value creation across multiple life science companies over the past several decades. For more information about the current status of our clinical trials and other updates, visit our website: www.geovax.com.