MAIA Biotechnology is developing THIO (6‑thio‑2ʼ‑deoxyguanosine), a telomere‑targeting agent intended to kill telomerase‑positive cancer cells. The company is positioning THIO as a potential second‑or‑later‑line treatment for patients with non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have progressed after checkpoint inhibitors. MAIA plans to initiate a Phase 2 trial (THIO‑101) testing low doses of THIO administered before the PD‑1 inhibitor cemiplimab to assess whether THIO can enhance and prolong immune responses. The THIO‑101 study will evaluate safety, mechanistic activity, and immune activation across four dose levels, with each arm enrolling up to 41 evaluable patients and efficacy assessed by ORR, DoR, PFS and OS. The company says proceeds will advance its programs and support initiation of THIO‑101. MAIA reported a cash position of over $11 million and no long‑term debt on its balance sheet. MAIA Biotechnology is a targeted therapy, immuno-oncology company focused on developing potential first-in-class drugs with novel mechanisms, with a lead program called THIO. THIO (6-thio-dG) is a small-molecule telomere-targeting agent believed to selectively target telomerase-positive cancer cells and is described by the company as the only cancer telomere-targeting agent currently in development. Preclinical data reported by MAIA showed THIO is incorporated into tumor cell telomeres, compromises telomere structure leading to rapid tumor cell death, and that low doses followed by anti-PD-L1/PD-1 therapy eliminated advanced tumors in models and produced cancer cell-specific immune memory. THIO is investigational and has not been approved for any use by regulatory authorities. MAIA plans to initiate a Phase 2 trial (THIO-101) this year to test administration of THIO prior to the checkpoint inhibitor cemiplimab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who previously did not respond or progressed after first-line checkpoint inhibitor therapy. The THIO-101 trial will test four THIO dose levels in separate arms, enroll up to 41 evaluable patients per arm, and evaluate safety, mechanistic immune activation, and efficacy endpoints including ORR, DoR, PFS and OS. To support these plans, MAIA completed an additional $6.2 million equity offering at $8 per share. MAIA Biotechnology is focused on developing first-in-class targeted immuno-oncology drugs. Its lead candidate is THIO (6-thio-dG), a first-in-class small-molecule telomere-targeting agent that selectively kills telomerase-positive cancer cells and is investigational. The company also has two compound families in pre-clinical evaluation for prostate and breast cancer targeting the androgen receptor and FKBP52 co-chaperone. MAIA recently raised $8.0 million in a convertible note financing to advance its targeted immuno-oncology programs. Proceeds will support initiation of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial (THIO-101) evaluating low-dose THIO followed by Libtayo in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The company expects to begin the THIO-101 trial later this year.

Total raised

$17M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Mar 2022