GeoVax Zika Vaccine

GeoVax Zika Vaccine refers to a development program by GeoVax Labs, Inc., featuring candidates GEO-ZM01 and GEO-ZM02. The lead candidate, GEO-ZM02, is a biologic vaccine constructed using a modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) viral vector platform. It is engineered to encode the Zika virus nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) rather than the envelope protein. This design is intended to elicit robust T-cell responses to provide protection while avoiding the induction of antibodies that could lead to Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE), a significant safety concern in flavivirus vaccine development. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that a single dose of GEO-ZM02 provides 100% protection against lethal Zika virus challenge. The vaccine is currently in the preclinical stage of development.