Project NextGen Award for COVID-19 Vaccine Development Stops

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued a 'Stop Work Order' for GeoVax's investigational COVID-19 vaccine, GEO-CM04S1, which was being developed under a government-sponsored initiative.

According to GeoVax's press release on April 16, 2025, the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has decided to withdraw its funding, originally granted under Project NextGen (PNG), a $5 billion effort started under the previous U.S. administration to support the development of next-generation vaccines and therapies.

Of note, GEO-CM04S1 was the only multi-antigen/polyvalent COVID-19 vaccine candidate selected under the PNG initiative.

"While the recent HHS/BARDA Stop Work Order action was disappointing and surprising, our commitment to protecting vulnerable populations remains unchanged, and our clinical momentum is strong in support of our ongoing Phase 2 GEO-CM04S1 programs," commented David Dodd, Chairman and CEO of GeoVax.

GeoVax remains committed to addressing the critical medical need for GEO-CM04S1, particularly among the more than 40 million immunocompromised Americans and over 400 million people globally who remain inadequately protected by the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines.