Poster details durability and efficacy of ateganosine (THIO) treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

CHICAGO, Sept. 05, 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 an abstract titled “Study of THIO Sequenced with Cemiplimab in 3rd Line Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-resistant aNSCLC: Improvement in PFS” was selected for poster presentation at the 2025 IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) taking place September 6–9, 2025, in Barcelona, Spain.

“We are proud to accept IASLC’s invitation to present our exceptional ateganosine (THIO) data at its prestigious World Conference on Lung Cancer. Our participation gives us the opportunity to meet with elite scientists, researchers, and global industry leaders about our shared purpose in driving innovation in lung cancer treatments,” said MAIA Chairman and CEO Vlad Vitoc, M.D.

“Ateganosine is demonstrating substantial efficacy in our ongoing THIO-101 trial, with a median overall survival (OS) of 17.8 months with a 95% confidence interval (CI) lower bound of 12.5 months. We believe our novel anticancer agent could become a breakthrough treatment for those suffering from late-stage non-small cell lung cancer,” said MAIA’s Senior Medical Director Victor Zaporojan, M.D. “We look forward to further discussing our observed progression free survival (PFS) at this year’s World Conference on Lung Cancer.”

Conference details:

  • MAIA representatives: Victor Zaporojan, M.D., Sr. Medical Director; Tomasz Jankowski, M.D., THIO-101 lead investigator and abstract presenting author
  • Poster session: P1.11 - Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer – Immunotherapy
  • Session time: Sunday, September 7, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  • Poster available at maiabiotech.com/publications on the day of the presentation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted Fast Track designation for ateganosine (THIO, 6-thio-dG or 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MAIA intends to utilize the incentives of the Fast Track Program to expedite the regulatory process for ateganosine. If relevant criteria are met during the Fast Track process, a drug will be eligible for FDA Accelerated Approval and Priority Review (FDA decision within six months).

About IASLC

The IASLC is a global multidisciplinary organization dedicated to eradication of all forms of lung cancer. From provision of educational events around the world and virtually to research projects and publications that advance the science of lung cancer, the IASLC's members are raising the bar for care of patients with lung cancer.

IASLC’s annual World Conference on Lung Cancer has played an integral part in facilitating progress by providing a platform for sharing cutting-edge research, collaboration, and networking among industry leaders, experts, and visionaries from around the world.

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-101 Phase 2 Clinical Trial

THIO-101 is a multicenter, open-label, dose finding Phase 2 clinical trial. It is the first trial designed to evaluate ateganosine’s anti-tumor activity when followed by PD-(L)1 inhibition. The trial is testing the hypothesis that low doses of ateganosine administered prior to cemiplimab (Libtayo ® ) will enhance and prolong immune response in patients with advanced NSCLC who previously did not respond or developed resistance and progressed after first-line treatment regimen containing another checkpoint inhibitor. The trial design has two primary objectives: (1) to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ateganosine administered as an anticancer compound and a priming immune activator (2) to assess the clinical efficacy of ateganosine using Overall Response Rate (ORR) as the primary clinical endpoint. The expansion of the study will assess overall response rates (ORR) in advanced NSCLC patients receiving third line (3L) therapy who were resistant to previous checkpoint inhibitor treatments (CPI) and chemotherapy. Treatment with ateganosine followed by cemiplimab (Libtayo ® ) has shown an acceptable safety profile to date in a heavily pre-treated population. For more information on this Phase II trial, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT05208944.

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

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