MAIA Biotechnology has reported a notable milestone in its ongoing Phase 2 THIO-101 trial, with eight patients living beyond two years after receiving its investigational therapy sequence of Ateganosine followed by Cemiplimab.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, especially for patients who have already failed prior immunotherapy. Standard survival expectations in these later-line settings are typically measured in months, not years-making these early findings particularly striking.
Key Findings from the ELCC 2026
The data, presented at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2026, highlight outcomes from Part A and B of the THIO-101 study:
-Eight patients exceeded two years of overall survival (OS) with no additional therapy after the study treatment.
-One third-line patient reached 33 months of survival, compared with an expected 5.8 months in this heavily pre-treated population.
-Four second-line patients lived beyond 30 months, far above the documented 10.5-month OS typically seen with chemotherapy or checkpoint inhibitors alone.
-All eight patients had previously failed treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor before entering the trial.
-Most patients completed 29-34 cycles of the Ateganosine- Cemiplimab regimen, with one patient completing only 2 cycles before entering long-term survival follow-up.
MAIA's CEO, Dr. Vlad Vitoc, called the results "very encouraging," noting that survival beyond two years- without subsequent therapy- supports Ateganosine's potential role as a breakthrough option for NSCLC patients who have exhausted standard treatments.
About the THIO-101 Phase 2 Trial
THIO-101 is the first clinical study designed to test whether low-dose Ateganosine can "prime" the immune system before treatment with a PD-(L)1 inhibitor such as Cemiplimab (Libtayo). The goal is to enhance and prolong immune responses in patients who previously did not respond to checkpoint inhibitors.
Trial design highlights:
- Multicenter, open-label, dose-finding Phase 2 study
- Evaluates safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor activity
- Uses Overall Response Rate (ORR) as the primary clinical endpoint
- Currently expanding into Part C, enrolling up to 48 additional patients in Asia and Europe
- Safety profile to date remains acceptable in a heavily pre-treated population
About Ateganosine (THIO)
Ateganosine is a first-in-class telomere-targeting agent designed to disrupt cancer cell survival by damaging telomeric DNA. This process triggers both innate and adaptive immune responses, potentially making tumors more responsive to checkpoint inhibitors.
Preclinical models have shown profound and persistent tumor regression and immune memory when Ateganosine is followed by PD-(L)1 blockade.
MAIA is developing Ateganosine as a second-line or later treatment for NSCLC patients with telomerase-positive tumors who have progressed after standard immunotherapy.
Looking Ahead
The company continues to enroll patients in the THIO-101 Part C expansion and is also advancing its Phase 3 pivotal program. With the global immunotherapy market exceeding $50 billion, MAIA sees Ateganosine as a potential entrant with a novel mechanism and a differentiated clinical profile.
MAIA has traded between $0.87 and $3.19 over the past year. The stock closed Tuesday's trading at $1.40, up 6.87%.
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Business News
May 15, 2026 15:25 ET Apart from the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, the main news on the economics front this week included key price data from the U.S. and the first quarter economic growth figures from major economies. Both consumer prices and producer costs have started to reflect the effect of supply shocks due to the Middle East conflict. In Europe, GDP data was in focus, while inflation data from China dominated the news flow in Asia.