Spotlight Interview: David A. Dodd, CEO at GeoVax Labs, in an Engaging Conversation with PharmaShots

PharmaShots’ Spotlight offers a unique platform for biopharma, life sciences, and healthcare companies, allowing them to connect with their target audiences and like-minded people.

This week at the Spotlight, we had a riveting discussion with David A. Dodd, Chairman, President & CEO, at GeoVax Labs.

David eloquently highlighted GeoVax’s extraordinary journey over the years from private ownership to a Nasdaq-listed company. David boasted the company’s lead candidates GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine that may potentially meet the unmet needs of immune-compromised patients, and Gedeptin, a tumor agnostic platform therapy, currently being investigated in a P-I/II in patients with head and neck cancer. Gedeptin is a gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy that significantly reduces or eliminates tumors.

A clinical-stage biotech company, GeoVax develops safe and effective immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases. GeoVax currently has two lead candidates in Phase II trials for COVID-19 and advanced head and neck cancer.

Image Source: Canva

About the Speaker:

David A. Dodd

David Dodd is a recognized leader with highly successful experience and expertise in transforming and restructuring public and private companies, establishing strong governance processes and operational discipline, resulting in operational improvements, significant revenue and enterprise value growth. During his career, he has overseen the approval of over 10 NDAs, over 15 acquisitions/divestitures, more than $2.5B in financial transactions and led over $5B in incremental enterprise growth.

Mr. Dodd joined the GeoVax Board of Directors in March 2010 and was elected Chairman in January 2011. Effective September 2018, he began serving also as the President, CEO. Mr. Dodd has led GeoVax through a significant transformation, including a corporate recapitalization and up-listing to Nasdaq (September 2020), followed by the Company acquiring the exclusive worldwide rights to two Phase 2-status products. This included GEO-CM04S1, the most advanced next-generation vaccine for Covid-19 (currently in two Phase 2 trials) and Gedeptin®, a cancer immunotherapy in a multi-site Phase 2 trial, having received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA and currently funded by the FDA Orphan Drugs Clinical Trials Program. In addition, significant strengthening of corporate governance, Board development and organizational capabilities have been implemented. Key highlights of his career prior to the GeoVax CEO position include:

During Mr. Dodd's six-year tenure as President, CEO and Director of Serologicals Corporation (Nasdaq “SERO”), the market value of that company increased over $1B… from $85M when he joined SERO to an all-cash sale to Millipore Corporation for $1.5B;
Dodd served as President, CEO & Director of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., during which the enterprise value increased over $2B – from $100M to $2.5B over a five-year period;
He is a frequent invited speaker and panelist at business and economic development conferences, as well as various conferences focused on the life sciences and pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Dodd is a multi-year recipient of the FastTech 50 Growth Company Award while leading the transformation of Serologicals Corporation and, in 2022, he was selected as a recipient of the Georgia Titan 100 award.

In addition, he has served on a development committee of the MacArthur Foundation, as an advisor to the First Minister of Scotland, as the Chair of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, as a member of the External Advisory Board of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering & Biosciences (GaTech), as the Chair of GaBio, as a board member on the Harvard Business School Healthcare Alumni Association and, in leadership roles with numerous additional organizations. Earlier in his career (1988), Mr. Dodd was recognized by the Los Angeles City Council for his leadership in establishing a developmental childcare facility with Womens’ Hospital in the East L.A. area.

Mr. Dodd holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Georgia State University and completed the Harvard Business School of Advanced Management Program.