GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX) announced that Senthil Ranganathan, PhD, Vice President of Technical Development and CMC Operations, will present at the World Vaccine Congress Europe 2026, scheduled for October 19–22 at the RAI Amsterdam. The presentation, titled “Revolutionizing MVA – Single Dose and Continuous Cell-Line Manufacturing,” will outline the company’s progress in advancing next-generation Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) technologies. The significance of this announcement extends beyond a routine conference update: it signals a potential shift in how MVA-based vaccines are designed and produced, with implications for outbreak response, pandemic preparedness, and global vaccine access.
MVA has long been recognized as a well-characterized vaccine platform, but its broader deployment has been hindered by multi-dose regimens and manufacturing processes reliant on primary avian cells. GeoVax is addressing both limitations through two complementary innovations. The first is MVA-X, a next-generation MVA technology designed to enhance immune responses and enable effective protection after a single administration. Preclinical studies have shown that a single dose of MVA-X achieved protective efficacy comparable to a traditional two-dose MVA regimen in a murine orthopoxvirus challenge model, with protection maintained through Day 150. This could simplify vaccination campaigns and enable faster deployment during public health emergencies.
The second innovation is a continuous cell-line manufacturing platform using the AGE1.CR.pIX avian cell line, which aims to replace traditional chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF)-based production. GeoVax has demonstrated proof-of-concept for the upstream process and is developing the downstream process to support production at the 200-liter scale, with a pathway toward 500 liters and beyond. This approach is designed to enable scalable, reproducible manufacturing, reduce reliance on primary-cell supply chains, and facilitate technology transfer. Continuous cell-line manufacturing could provide a more flexible foundation for rapidly increasing MVA vaccine production in response to emerging infectious diseases and biodefense needs.
David A. Dodd, Chairman and CEO of GeoVax, commented, “Our work with MVA-X and AGE1.CR.pIX addresses both sides of that equation – potentially simplifying vaccination through a single-dose approach while establishing a scalable manufacturing platform capable of supporting broader and more responsive vaccine supply.” Dodd added that Dr. Ranganathan’s participation in the Platform Technologies workshop provides an opportunity to share these advances with the global vaccine community, with potential implications for outbreak response, pandemic preparedness, biodefense, strategic stockpiling, and expanded global access to MVA-based vaccines.
GeoVax’s lead program, GEO-MVA, is an MVA-based vaccine targeting mpox and smallpox, advancing under an expedited regulatory pathway with plans to initiate a pivotal Phase 3 trial in the second half of 2026. The company also develops Gedeptin® for oncology and maintains a global intellectual property portfolio. For more information, visit www.geovax.com. This news was originally distributed via NEWMEDIAWIRE.
