GeoVax Presents at Zika Virus Scientific Conference

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwired - May 2, 2016) - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTCQB: GOVX), a biotechnology company specializing in developing human vaccines, presented today at the conference Bridging the Sciences: Zika Virus, held at the Emory Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The topic of GeoVax's address was the Company's development of a Zika virus vaccine based on its novel Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara-Virus Like Particle (MVA-VLP) platform technology. This international conference, held on May 1-3, is facilitating interactions and collaboration between Brazilian scientists and their international colleagues -- Brazil being one of the countries most exposed to the devastating effects of Zika virus. It also features scientific sessions geared toward the fundamental understanding of Zika virus biology and practical considerations for management of the infection. Conference organizers, endorsers and supporters include Emory University, EMS Pharmaceutical (Brazil), Global Virus Network, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and the University of Miami.

At the Bridging the Sciences: Zika Virus conference, Dr. Farshad Guirakhoo, the Company's Senior Vice President, Research and Development, presented the latest developments in GeoVax's Zika vaccine program. In his presentation, Dr. Guirakhoo summarized the ideal characteristics of a Zika vaccine and reviewed the industry landscape of vaccines under development, noting GeoVax's MVA-VLP vaccine (GEO-ZM01) is anticipated to be among the best vaccine candidates in terms of safety, efficacy, durability of protection, and ease of administration. He described the genetic construction of the GeoVax vaccine and presented electron micrographs demonstrating the production of non-infectious VLPs elicited by the GeoVax vaccine in vitro. He outlined progress made to date and further steps toward animal efficacy tests necessary before initiation of human trials.

Dr. Guirakhoo stated, "We believe our MVA-VLP vaccine platform offers the best solution to the Zika epidemic. We have encouraging preliminary data indicating that high levels of Zika VLPs composed of protective structural proteins, are produced by our platform. We are also evaluating the benefit of including other non-structural protective antigens in GeoVax's MVA-VLPs. We look forward to continue working with our current collaborators at the University of Georgia and the CDC. New collaborations are also under consideration in an effort to accelerate the development of our Zika vaccine."

About GeoVax

GeoVax Labs, Inc., is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing human vaccines against infectious diseases using its MVA-VLP vaccine platform. The Company's development programs are focused on vaccines against Zika Virus, HIV, and hemorrhagic fever viruses (Ebola, Marburg, Lassa). GeoVax also recently began a program to evaluate the use of its MVA-VLP platform in cancer immunotherapy. GeoVax's vaccine platform supports in vivo production of non-infectious VLPs from the cells of the very person receiving the vaccine. The production of VLPs 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.

Clinical trials for GeoVax's preventive HIV vaccines have been conducted by the NIH-supported HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). Overall, GeoVax's HIV vaccines, in various doses and combinations, have been tested in 500 humans with very encouraging results. Currently, GeoVax has the most advanced vaccine for the subtype of HIV prevalent in North America and Western Europe. The company awaits funding for a Phase 2b efficacy trial to prove the vaccine protects against HIV. For more information, visit 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 targeted infections in humans, GeoVax's 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.