GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX) announced on September 14, 2026, that it has entered a Memorandum of Agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to access clinical trial sample testing services through the CEPI Centralised Laboratory Network. The agreement supports GeoVax's planned pivotal Phase 3 immune-bridging study of GEO-MVA, its Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine candidate targeting mpox and smallpox.
The CEPI Centralised Laboratory Network is the largest global group of laboratories dedicated to harmonizing immunological assessments of vaccines against epidemic and pandemic threats. By using standardized assays and reporting procedures, the network minimizes variability in trial readouts, helping researchers and regulators consistently evaluate vaccine performance. For GeoVax, this independent evaluation is a critical step toward building confidence in GEO-MVA among regulators, public health organizations, governments, and potential strategic partners.
Dr. Amy Shurtleff, Director of Laboratory Research and Innovation at CEPI, noted that the network was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce clinical testing differences and has since expanded to serve over 60 vaccine developers, processing more than 120,000 samples. "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.
GeoVax expects to initiate its approximately 500-participant pivotal Phase 3 immune-bridging study in the fourth quarter of 2026, with results expected in mid-2027. The study will compare immune responses generated by GEO-MVA with those of the licensed MVA-BN comparator, following Scientific Advice from the European Medicines Agency. The agreement also provides a framework under which CEPI may share anonymized summaries of sample-testing results with the World Health Organization, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and others to further its mission.
David Dodd, Chairman and CEO of GeoVax, emphasized the broader strategic objective: "The global preparedness community needs resilient MVA supply. We believe that the data produced by CEPI's network could pave the way for an additional qualified supply source of mpox vaccine supply if we are successful in testing and licensure, reducing dependence on a single manufacturing infrastructure and ultimately enabling production capacity that can be deployed closer to the populations it is intended to protect."
Recent global mpox outbreaks have underscored the risks of constrained vaccine supply. GeoVax believes sustainable preparedness requires not only adequate stockpiles but also multiple qualified sources of supply and manufacturing capacity. The company will cover the full testing costs associated with CEPI's research; CEPI has not provided specific funding for GEO-MVA's development.
This news matters because it signals a potential diversification of the global MVA vaccine supply, which could reduce reliance on a single manufacturer and enhance biosecurity. For business leaders, it highlights the growing importance of public-private partnerships in pandemic preparedness and the role of independent laboratory networks in accelerating vaccine development. For the technology and AI sector, the use of standardized assays and global data sharing could inform future platforms for rapid vaccine evaluation. As GeoVax advances GEO-MVA, the agreement with CEPI could serve as a model for how collaborative infrastructure can streamline regulatory pathways and expand access to critical vaccines. Learn more about CEPI's mission at CEPI.net and GeoVax's programs at www.geovax.com.
