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GeoVax Announces Enrollment Completion for Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial for HIV/AIDS Therapeutic Vaccine
Initial Data Expected in Late 2013
ATLANTA, Ga., January 10, 2013 - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTCQB: GOVX), an Atlanta-based
biopharmaceutical firm developing vaccines to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, announced it has completed
enrollment in a nine-patient Phase 1/2 clinical trial testing the safety, immunogenicity and ability of its
DNA/MVA vaccine to elicit protective immune responses in HIV-infected individuals.
The primary goal of this study is to document the safety and immunogenicity of GeoVax's vaccine in HIVpositive
patients with well-controlled infections using oral HIV drug medication. Following vaccination, the trial
includes a short period of drug-interruption to evaluate the ability of the vaccine to control the infection in the
absence of continuing drug therapy. The Phase 1/2 trial (designated GV-TH-01) consists of priming with a
recombinant DNA vaccine followed by boosting with a recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine.
The vaccine regimen elicits both antiviral antibody that can block infection and antiviral T cells that can recognize
and kill infected cells. The trial is being conducted at the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta, the Alabama
Vaccine Research Center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham and the AIDS Research Alliance of Los
Angeles.
Robert McNally, Ph.D., President and CEO of GeoVax, stated, "This pilot study is our first trial investigating use
of a therapeutic vaccine to address the need for a treatment that is better tolerated and less costly than the HIV
oral medications currently available. We anticipate having meaningful data from the program later this year."
Harriet Robinson, GeoVax's Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "Our next step planned for our therapeutic
vaccine development program is a Phase 1 clinical trial to investigate the use of our vaccine in combination with
standard-of-care drug therapy in young adults. This trial will likely be conducted by the International Maternal
Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trial Group (IMPAACT). One of the hopes for therapeutic vaccination is that
combining a vaccine with drugs will allow the eradication of virus from an infected individual. Drugs primarily
prevent infection whereas a vaccine can both block infection and kill infected cells."
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About GeoVax
GeoVax is a biotechnology company developing human vaccines for diseases caused by HIV. GeoVax's vaccines
are unique in expressing virus like particles that display the trimeric membrane bound form of the HIV-1
envelope glycoprotein. All preventative Phase 1 human clinical trials conducted to date tested various
combinations and doses of our DNA and MVA vaccines, their ability to raise anti-HIV humoral (antibody) and
cellular (cytotoxic T cell) immune responses, as well as, the vaccines' safety. Successful results from a Phase 1
study supported a Phase 2a trial that was completed in the 3rd quarter of 2012.
GeoVax's 2nd generation preventive vaccine is currently in phase 1 testing and is planned to progress to phase 2
efficacy testing, given safety and immunogenicity are as expected. Overall, the GeoVax vaccine, in various doses
and combinations, has been tested in close to 500 humans. GeoVax is also enrolling patients in a Phase 1
therapeutic trial for individuals already infected with HIV. For more information, please visit www.geovax.com.
About HIV/AIDS
HIV infection, which can lead to AIDS, is a pandemic that can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, age, or
sexual orientation. 33 million people are currently infected globally; it is estimated that there will be 2.5 million
new infections this year. Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than a million people in the U.S. have
contracted the virus. Every 9 1/2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is infected with HIV. Globally, HIV is the top
killer among women of reproductive age. HIV is a worldwide disease with different subtypes (or clades) of the
virus predominating in different regions of the world. Clade B is the predominant subtype in North America.
Globally, most infections involve subtypes AG, B and C. GeoVax vaccines are currently designed to function
against clade B
For more Information, please 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 AIDS 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.
CONTACT
Dian Greisel, Inc.
Dillon Heins
Investor Relations
Susan Forman or Laura Radocaj
Public Relations
212-825-3210
"Reproduced with permission - GeoVax Labs, Inc."
GeoVax Labs, Inc.
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