GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX) announced on September 14, 2026, that it has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to utilize the CEPI Centralised Laboratory Network for clinical trial sample testing in support of its pivotal Phase 3 immune-bridging study of GEO-MVA, an MVA-based vaccine candidate targeting mpox and smallpox. This agreement marks a significant step in the development of GEO-MVA and underscores the importance of independent evaluation in advancing vaccine candidates.
The CEPI Centralised Laboratory Network is the largest global group of laboratories dedicated to harmonizing the immunological assessment of vaccines against infectious diseases with epidemic and pandemic potential. By providing access to standardized assays and reporting procedures, the network minimizes variability in trial readouts, enabling consistent evaluation of vaccine performance by researchers and regulators. For GeoVax, this independent testing is critical as it seeks to establish GEO-MVA as an additional source of MVA-based mpox vaccine supply, addressing the need for resilient and diversified vaccine capacity.
GeoVax plans to initiate its approximately 500-participant Phase 3 study in the fourth quarter of 2026, with results expected in mid-2027. The agreement supports GeoVax’s broader strategic objective of building independent scientific evidence necessary to position GEO-MVA as a potential second source of MVA vaccine, reducing dependence on a single manufacturing infrastructure. As David Dodd, Chairman and CEO of GeoVax, stated, “Independent evaluation is an important step toward building confidence in GEO-MVA among regulators, public-health organizations, governments and potential strategic partners.” He further emphasized that the global preparedness community needs resilient MVA supply, and the data produced by CEPI’s network could pave the way for an additional qualified supply source.
Under the agreement, clinical samples from GeoVax will be evaluated using assays specific to orthopoxviruses, the family to which mpox and smallpox belong. Dr. Amy Shurtleff, Director of Laboratory Research and Innovation at CEPI, noted that the network was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce testing differences and has since expanded to support vaccine developers worldwide. “Our new agreement with GeoVax enables the company to access validated, high-quality mpox testing tools that could fast-track its promising GEO-MVA mpox vaccine through development and give the world further options to fight this harmful, recurring disease,” she said. The agreement also allows CEPI to share anonymized summaries of results with the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and others, furthering CEPI’s mission to transform the global response to epidemic threats.
GeoVax will cover the full testing costs, and CEPI has not provided specific funding for GEO-MVA’s development. The collaboration highlights the growing emphasis on independent, standardized laboratory testing to support vaccine approval and global preparedness. For more information, visit www.geovax.com and CEPI.net.
