GeoVax Enters Into Research Collaboration Agreement With the NIH for Ebola/Marburg Vaccines

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwired - Apr 16, 2015) - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTCQB: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing innovative human vaccines using its novel platform technology, today announced that it has entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement (the "Agreement") with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for development of GeoVax's vaccines against Ebola and Marburg viruses.

GeoVax is developing both single-strain and multi-strain vaccines against Ebola and Marburg, a hemorrhagic virus similar to Ebola. These are recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vectored vaccines, designed to produce non-infectious virus-like particles (VLPs) containing the Ebola or Marburg virus matrix protein (VP40) and displaying the Ebola or Marburg virus glycoprotein (GP). The matrix protein forms VLPs displaying the glycoprotein, which is the target for protective antibody.

GeoVax has collaborated extensively with NIAID in the development of MVA vaccines against HIV. GeoVax's MVA-vectored HIV vaccines, which also express non-infectious VLPs, were constructed in NIAID-developed vectors. Prior collaborations between NIAID and GeoVax have been highly productive and beneficial to the field of HIV vaccine development. The purpose of the Agreement is to extend the NIAID-GeoVax collaboration into Ebola and Marburg vaccine development, in order to accelerate the development of vaccines against filoviruses, the family of hemorrhagic viruses containing Ebola and Marburg.

Under the Agreement, NIAID will contribute materials, reagents, and scientific advice for vaccine construction. Where appropriate, NIAID will collaborate on the analysis of the recombinant MVA expression and stability, data analysis, and interpretation of these studies. GeoVax will construct and characterize MVA-Ebola and MVA-Marburg recombinants in vitro and prepare MVA Ebola and Marburg vaccines for animal studies. NIAID will then carry out animal protection studies in guinea pigs, hamsters, and non-human primates if appropriate.

Harriet L. Robinson, Ph.D., GeoVax's Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "We are very pleased to extend our collaboration with NIAID to our Ebola and Marburg vaccine program. The research project covered by this agreement clearly aligns with NIAID's mission to address domestic and global health problems and diseases, including newly emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola and Marburg. We anticipate beginning the animal studies contemplated by the research plan in the very near future."

About NIAID
NIAID conducts and supports research -- at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide -- to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website (www.niaid.nih.gov).

About GeoVax
GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing human vaccines against infectious diseases using our novel vaccine platform. Our current development programs are focused on vaccines against Ebola and Marburg viruses, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). We believe our technology and vaccine development expertise is well-suited for a wide variety of human infectious diseases for which there is an unmet medical need, and we intend to pursue expansion of our product pipeline as resources permit.

Our vaccine platform supports production of non-infectious virus-like particles (VLPs) from the cells of the person receiving the vaccine. Producing non-infectious virus-like particles in the person being vaccinated circumvents the need to purify virus-like particles for inoculation. The production of virus-like particles in the person being vaccinated mimics a natural infection, stimulating both the humoral and cellular arms of the immune system to recognize, prevent and control the target infection should it appear.

Clinical trials for GeoVax's preventive HIV vaccines have been conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health-supported HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). Overall, GeoVax's vaccines, in various doses and combinations, have been tested in 500 humans. For more information, go to www.geovax.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this document are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those included in these statements due to a variety of factors, including whether: GeoVax can develop and manufacture its vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax's vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax's vaccines will effectively prevent HIV or Ebola infection in humans, vaccines will receive regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to complete vaccine 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. GeoVax assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so. More information about these factors is contained in GeoVax's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including those set forth at "Risk Factors" in GeoVax's Form 10-K.