GeoVax Labs, Inc. completed enrollment in a nine-patient Phase 1/2 clinical trial testing the safety, immunogenicity and ability of its DNA/MVA vaccine to elicit protective immune responses in HIV-infected individuals. The primary goal of this study is to document the safety and immunogenicity of GeoVax's vaccine in HIV-positive patients with well-controlled infections using oral HIV drug medication. Following vaccination, the trial includes a short period of drug-interruption to evaluate the ability of the vaccine to control the infection in the absence of continuing drug therapy.

The Phase 1/2 trial (designated GV-TH-01) consists of priming with a recombinant DNA vaccine followed by boosting with a recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine. The vaccine regimen elicits both antiviral antibody that can block infection and antiviral T cells that can recognize and kill infected cells. The trial is being conducted at the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta, the Alabama Vaccine Research Center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham and the AIDS Research Alliance of Los Angeles.