MAIA Biotechnology Presents Trial in Progress Poster for Pivotal Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Novel Telomere Targeting Agent at 2026 Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology
CHICAGO, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA) (“MAIA”, the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, delivered a poster presentation on May 31, 2026, featuring the methodology and study design for its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial (THIO-104) at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 2026), being held May 29 – June 2, 2026, in MAIA’s home city of Chicago, Illinois. THIO-104 evaluates the efficacy of MAIA’s telomere targeting agent, ateganosine, administered in sequence with a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) in third-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients resistant to CPIs and chemotherapy. MAIA reported the first patient dosed in THIO-104 in December 2025, and screening and enrollment is underway in Europe and Asia.
“We’re pleased to be back at ASCO, where many of the world’s leading oncology experts gather to discuss the latest advances shaping the future of cancer treatment,” said MAIA CEO Vlad Vitoc, M.D. “The level of engagement and enthusiasm surrounding our clinical programs is very encouraging, particularly as investigators continue enrolling patients in both our pivotal Phase 3 THIO-104 trial and Phase 2 THIO-101 trial expansion.”
MAIA’s ASCO 2060 poster, titled “A Phase 3 Study of Ateganosine (THIO) Sequenced with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI) versus Standard of Care Chemotherapy in ICI-Resistant Advanced NSCLC: THIO-104 Trial in Progress,” was presented by Tomasz Jankowski, M.D., Phase 2 THIO-101 lead investigator for Poland, enrollment advisor for the pivotal Phase 3 THIO-104 clinical trial and co-author of several MAIA scientific presentations. The poster is attached to this press release and is also available on the Publications page of MAIA’s website maiabiotech.com.
“Investigators are increasingly focused on therapies that can potentially overcome resistance mechanisms and improve outcomes for patients with advanced NSCLC,” said Dr. Jankowski.
“Ateganosine has generated meaningful interest within the oncology community and may offer a promising new therapeutic option for patients who currently face very limited treatment choices.”
The ASCO Annual Meeting is the world's largest cancer research meeting, with nearly 45,000 attendees and 166 countries represented in 2025.
About Ateganosine
Ateganosine (THIO, 6-thio-dG or 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine) is a first-in-class investigational telomere-targeting agent currently in clinical development to evaluate its activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Telomeres, along with the enzyme telomerase, play a fundamental role in the survival of cancer cells and their resistance to current therapies. The modified nucleotide 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine induces telomerase-dependent telomeric DNA modification, DNA damage responses, and selective cancer cell death. Ateganosine-damaged telomeric fragments accumulate in cytosolic micronuclei and activates both innate (cGAS/STING) and adaptive (T-cell) immune responses. The sequential treatment of ateganosine followed by PD-(L)1 inhibitors resulted in profound and persistent tumor regression in advanced, in vivo cancer models by induction of cancer type–specific immune memory. Ateganosine is presently developed as a second or later line of treatment for NSCLC for patients that have progressed beyond the standard-of-care regimen of existing checkpoint inhibitors.
About THIO-104 Phase 3 Clinical Trial
THIO-104 is a multicenter, open-label, randomized Phase 3 clinical trial, designed to evaluate ateganosine’s telomere-targeting anti-tumor activity when followed by PD-(L)1 inhibition in patients with advanced third-line NSCLC who previously did not respond or developed resistance to treatment regimens containing checkpoint inhibitor and/or chemotherapy and have progressed. The trial has two primary objectives: (1) to assess the clinical efficacy of ateganosine compared to investigator’s choice of chemotherapy, using median Overall Survival (OS) as the primary clinical endpoint (2) to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ateganosine in sequential combination with a checkpoint inhibitor. For more information on this Phase 3 trial, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT06908304.
About MAIA Biotechnology, Inc.
MAIA is a targeted therapy, immuno-oncology company focused on the development and commercialization of potential first-in-class drugs with novel mechanisms of action that are intended to meaningfully improve and extend the lives of people with cancer. Our lead program is ateganosine (THIO), a potential first-in-class cancer telomere targeting agent in clinical development for the treatment of NSCLC patients with telomerase-positive cancer cells. For more information, please visit www.maiabiotech.com.
Forward Looking Statements
MAIA cautions that all statements, other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels or activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those anticipated by such statements. The use of words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “future,” “potential,” or “continue,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that statements are not forward-looking. For example, all statements we make regarding (i) the initiation, timing, cost, progress and results of our preclinical and clinical studies and our research and development programs, (ii) our ability to advance product candidates into, and successfully complete, clinical studies, (iii) the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, (iv) our ability to develop, manufacture and commercialize our product candidates and to improve the manufacturing process, (v) the rate and degree of market acceptance of our product candidates, (vi) the size and growth potential of the markets for our product candidates and our ability to serve those markets, and (vii) our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates, are forward looking. All forward-looking statements are based on current estimates, assumptions and expectations by our management that, although we believe to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. Any forward-looking statement expressing an expectation or belief as to future events is expressed in good faith and believed to be reasonable at the time such forward-looking statement is made. However, these statements are not guarantees of future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors beyond our control that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In this release, unless the context requires otherwise, “MAIA,” “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refers to MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
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