Operational Resources Strengthened in Support of ongoing Phase 2 Clinical Trials for COVID-19 and Advanced Head & Neck Cancer
ATLANTA, GA, March 7, 2022 — GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company specializing in developing human vaccines and cancer immunotherapies, today announced recent key staff appointments and changes.
Jeffrey Welch has been appointed to serve as Head, Process Development and Manufacturing Operations (consultant). In this role, Jeff will provide oversight and direction to enhance GeoVax’s manufacturing capacity of MVA-related products, a key element in advancing the Company’s current and upcoming clinical development programs. Jeff brings over 30 years of experience in biopharmaceutical development and CMC operations, with expertise in manufacturing process development and technical operations related to vaccines and specifically related to MVA. Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Erica Raiden has been appointed to serve as Director, Clinical Operations. In this role, Erica will work closely with our CRO partners and engage with clinical sites to facilitate advancing our clinical trials, ensuring that our clinical development programs are aligned with corporate objectives and priorities and proceeding in a timely manner. Erica brings over 25 years of progressive experience in clinical project management, regulatory affairs and scientific research. Erica earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Old Dominion University.
The Company also announced that Mark J. Newman, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, is now serving in a full-time capacity, having previously worked on a part-time basis.
David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, “Jeff and Erica are welcome additions to the GeoVax team, as they each bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to these key positions and we look forward to their valuable contributions. Their appointments follow the appointment of Dr. Kelly McKee as our Chief Medical Officer in January and the engagement of CATO SMS as our CRO partner for our Gedeptin® clinical program. These represent important steps forward in the strengthening of GeoVax’s organizational and operational resources to support our advancement through clinical development and regulatory registration.”
About GeoVax
GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing human vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and cancer using novel proprietary platforms. GeoVax’s product pipeline includes two ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials of GEO-CM04S1 (formerly COH04S1) for COVID-19 as a universal booster vaccine to mRNA vaccines authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and as a primary vaccine for use in immunocompromised patients. In addition to GEO-CM04S1 for COVID-19, GeoVax is developing GEO-CM02 as a pan-coronavirus vaccine. The Company is also conducting a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of Gedeptin® for treatment of head and neck cancer. Gedeptin® has been granted orphan drug status by the FDA. Additional research and development programs include preventive vaccines against Zika Virus, hemorrhagic fever viruses (Ebola, Sudan, Marburg, and Lassa) and malaria, as well as immunotherapies for multiple solid tumors. The Company’s portfolio of wholly owned, co-owned, and in-licensed intellectual property stands at over 70 granted or pending patent applications spread over 20 patent families.
For additional information about GeoVax, 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 preventive 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 preventive vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventive vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax’s vaccines will effectively prevent targeted infections in humans, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventive 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 registration statement on Form S-1 and the 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 U.S. federal securities law.
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