On June 14, 2022 MAIA Biotechnology, Inc., a targeted therapy, immuno-oncology company focused on developing potential first-in-class oncology drugs ("MAIA"), reported that MAIA has entered into a research and collaboration agreement with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital to evaluate the potential of THIO in combination with current standard-of-care therapies for cancer (Press release, MAIA Biotechnology, JUN 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234615977]). THIO is MAIA’s proprietary, first-in-class, telomere-targeting small molecule currently in clinical development to evaluate its activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
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Through this research collaboration, the organizations will conduct preclinical studies to assess the efficacy and safety of THIO in combination with radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors in vitro and in vivo.
"We are thrilled to partner with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a leading pediatric teaching hospital focused on advancing the health and well-being of all children, and in particular, those suffering with cancer," said Vlad Vitoc, M.D., MAIA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We believe that THIO has the potential to be used as a broad anticancer agent and we are excited to evaluate its activity in preclinical models with checkpoint inhibitors and radiation therapies. We are proud to align with Nationwide to advance this potentially ground-breaking scientific work."
"Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in children beyond infancy in the United States, and while important strides have been made in identifying and developing treatments, more research is needed to advance further," said Rachid Drissi, Ph.D., principal investigator in the Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. "We’re excited to continue that advancement here, so families can focus on their children’s future, and not their disease."
Sergei Gryaznov, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of MAIA, added, "Childhood cancer rates have been steadily rising in the past few decades, and more than 10,000 children in the US under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer just this year alone. The combination studies under the Nationwide collaboration will grow the body of growing evidence we have with THIO and will advance research in the field of pediatric cancer."
About THIO
THIO (6-thio-dG or 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine) is a telomere-targeting agent currently in clinical development to evaluate its activity in NSCLC. Telomeres, along with the enzyme telomerase, play a fundamental role in the survival of cancer cells and their resistance to current therapies. THIO is being developed for patients with NSCLC that have progressed beyond the standard-of-care regimen of existing checkpoint inhibitors.