GeoVax Responds to Growing Mpox Threat With Expedited EU Pathway and Platform Aligned to U.S. Biodefense Objectives
July 2, 2025
GeoVax’s GEO-MVA vaccine, targeting mpox and smallpox, is gaining momentum as a critical public health asset amid new outbreaks in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. Backed by favorable guidance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the vaccine is on an expedited track toward regulatory approval. Its scalable, avian cell-based production platform promises greater manufacturing flexibility and cost-efficiency, addressing the urgent global need for diversified MVA vaccine supply. GeoVax’s pursuit of a BARDA-funded partnership further positions it as a vital complement—or alternative—to current vaccine monopolies. With regulatory and strategic momentum, GEO-MVA may help meet mounting demand in a multipolar outbreak landscape.
As mpox and smallpox threats escalate worldwide, GeoVax Labs’ GEO-MVA vaccine emerges as a promising new tool for epidemic preparedness. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has provided favorable Scientific Advice, clearing the way for expedited regulatory approval. With cases of mpox spreading in multiple U.S. states and new clade Ib outbreaks in West and Central Africa, the demand for safe, scalable, and responsive vaccine solutions has intensified.
GEO-MVA’s strength lies in its novel avian cell-based manufacturing process, which enables rapid production of MVA-based vaccines at lower cost. This platform not only facilitates localized manufacturing in response to outbreak surges but also alleviates reliance on existing single-source suppliers. As CEO David Dodd emphasized, breaking the current MVA vaccine monopoly is not just a market imperative—it is a global health necessity.
GeoVax is also pursuing a Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) grant from BARDA, a U.S. program aimed at funding flexible vaccine technologies for high-consequence infectious threats. If successful, this partnership could help scale GEO-MVA’s production for national stockpiles, reducing the need for constant inventory by enabling just-in-time readiness.
While Bavarian Nordic’s JYNNEOS currently dominates the MVA-based vaccine space, its high cost and limited supply have raised equity and access concerns, especially for countries in the Global South grappling with sustained mpox transmission. GeoVax’s entry into the field provides a potentially transformative alternative—one that supports global vaccine security by diversifying production pipelines and boosting regional manufacturing capacity.
In an era where public health threats cross borders and mutate swiftly, innovation in both vaccine science and supply chain strategy is essential. GeoVax’s GEO-MVA, guided by a science-driven regulatory path and backed by global partnerships, could become a cornerstone in the next-generation response to orthopoxvirus outbreaks.