GeoVax Labs, Inc. has announced the formation of its Oncology Advisory Board with the appointment of three internationally recognized leaders in immuno-oncology, translational medicine, and clinical development. This Advisory Board will play a central role in guiding the scientific, translational, and clinical advancement of GeoVax's oncology program, focused primarily on Gedeptin®, the company's gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapeutic. The board's formation signals GeoVax's strategic shift toward developing Gedeptin as a differentiated immune-sensitizing platform, particularly in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
The advisory board members bring deep expertise across the drug development spectrum. Chas Bountra, PhD, OBE, Professor of Translational Medicine at the University of Oxford, brings extensive leadership spanning academia, biotech, and global pharmaceutical R&D. Marc S. Ernstoff, MD, Director of Experimental Cell Therapy at Dartmouth Health, is a recognized pioneer in cancer immunotherapy with significant experience across cytokine therapy, checkpoint inhibitors, and combination immuno-oncology trials. Anthony J. Olszanski, MD, RPh, Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair for Clinical Research at Fox Chase Cancer Center, is a nationally recognized leader in early-phase oncology drug development with deep experience running first-in-human and Phase 1/2 trials across solid tumors.
GeoVax plans to conduct a Phase 2 trial with Gedeptin in the neoadjuvant setting, pairing it with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In parallel, it will be evaluating combination Gedeptin plus ICI strategies across additional solid tumor indications. Gedeptin's intratumoral delivery and localized tumor-debulking mechanism are designed to enhance antigen release and immune activation within the tumor microenvironment, an approach that may complement and extend the efficacy of systemic checkpoint blockade.
David A. Dodd, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GeoVax, stated that the addition of these three exceptional oncology leaders significantly strengthens the company's scientific and clinical foundation as it advances Gedeptin into its next stage of development. Their collective experience from early drug discovery through late-stage immuno-oncology trials and regulatory strategy directly aligns with GeoVax's goal of positioning Gedeptin as a novel immune-sensitizing therapy across solid tumors.
Kelly T. McKee, MD, Chief Medical Officer of GeoVax, emphasized that Gedeptin sits at the intersection of localized tumor control and systemic immune activation. As checkpoint inhibitors move earlier in treatment paradigms, including neoadjuvant settings, expert guidance on trial design, patient selection, and translational endpoints is critical as the company moves into clinically consequential combination strategies. The advisory board will provide integrated guidance on clinical trial design, translational biomarker strategy, patient selection, and regulatory-aligned development pathways as Gedeptin advances through combination and neoadjuvant clinical programs.
Gedeptin has completed a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial in advanced head and neck cancer and has received Orphan Drug Designation for oral and pharyngeal cancers. The therapy is a gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy delivered intratumorally using a non-replicating viral vector encoding purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Following systemic administration of a prodrug, the encoded enzyme converts it into a cytotoxic agent directly within the tumor microenvironment, selectively destroying tumor cells while promoting immune recognition. For more information about GeoVax's broader pipeline, including its priority program GEO-MVA targeting mpox and smallpox, visit https://www.geovax.com.
