Purchases reflect strong confidence in the scientific differentiation and commercial potential of ateganosine

CHICAGO, Dec. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA) (“MAIA”, the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, today announced that independent directors including Adelina Louie Ngar Yee and Stan V. Smith, Ph.D. purchased common stock and warrants in the recent private placement offering which closed on December 22, 2025.

Three directors purchased a total of 179,737 shares and 179,737 warrants with an average purchase price of $1.224. Dr. Smith has invested in all of MAIA’s funding rounds since the Company’s inception in 2018, and Ms. Adelina Louie is a top investor in MAIA. Gross proceeds from the offering totaled approximately $1.51 million.

To date, directors and officers hold 5,019,857 shares or 13.43% of MAIA.

“Ongoing support from our directors reflects their strong conviction in the commercial potential of ateganosine, our first-in-class anticancer treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC),” said Vlad Vitoc, M.D., founder and CEO of MAIA. “Consistent insider participation in our 2025 financings strengthens our ability to execute as we advance our pivotal Phase 3 international trial launched this month with first patient dosing.”

Dr. Smith commented, “Our continued support reflects our strong confidence in the scientific differentiation and commercial promise of ateganosine. The initiation of the pivotal Phase 3 trial marks an important value-creation milestone for MAIA.”

Ms. Adelina Louie stated, “I believe MAIA has reached a pivotal stage in advancing life-changing therapies to broad populations of patients with cancer, and I am proud continue to support the Company in my capacity as both an investor and a member of the Board.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for ateganosine for the treatment of NSCLC. Statistical assessments of the Phase 3 trial point to a very high probability of technical success for regulatory approval of ateganosine.

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 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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