TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTS

Vaccine Evolution

The GeoVax DNA and MVA product selected for further development and human testing is based on more than 15 years of development studies, during which time less effective vaccines were evaluated and eliminated from consideration. The aforementioned studies led to the rationale for developing the Gag-Pol-Env multiprotein expressing gene cassettes present in our product DNA & MVA vaccines. The vaccines have proven effective by:

• Use of single DNA and MVA vectors to express the three major proteins of immunodeficiency viruses (Gag, Pol, and Env)
• Use of MVA instead of fowlpox for the booster vaccine because MVA stimulated better immune responses than fowlpox in preclinical trials.
• Demonstration of the protection of long-term memory responses by waiting for six months or more before administering an intra-rectal challenge infection. At the time of challenge, the vaccine response was in memory but successfully activated to provide protection when stimulated by the presence of the AIDS virus.

Results Summary

• Excellent protection in vaccinated monkeys against a mucosal immunodeficiency virus challenge infection.
• Protection against SIV as well as SHIV challenges.
• Elicitation of anti-viral Ab (antibodies) in blood and mucosal secretions that blunt viral infections.