On April 16, 2026 Sona Nanotech Inc. (CSE: SONA) (OTCQB: SNANF) (the "Company", "Sona") reported the appointment of two renowned oncologists to its scientific advisory board: Dr. Michael Smylie and Dr. Jonathan Trites.

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Dr. Michael Smylie is a leading medical oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton and a clinical professor at the University of Alberta, renowned for his transformative work in melanoma research. He played a key role as a contributing investigator and co-author in the landmark CheckMate clinical trials–specifically CheckMate 067. This study is hailed as a turning point in oncology, as it proved that combining immunotherapy drugs could lead to long-term survival for patients with advanced melanoma, a condition once considered a terminal diagnosis.

His work on the long-term outcomes and quality-of-life data from these trials has helped establish the current international standard of care, moving the needle from short-term treatment to the possibility of decade-long remission for many.

Dr. Jonathan Trites is a head and neck oncologic and reconstructive surgeon based at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. As an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University, he has been a key figure in research advancing surgical techniques and outcomes for complex head and neck cancers.

Dr. Trites’s work primarily focuses on improving the precision and functional outcomes of cancer surgeries. He is a leader in using minimally invasive techniques for tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract. His research has demonstrated that Transoral Laser Microsurgery (TLM) is a viable option for advanced-stage glottic cancer, achieving high rates of laryngeal preservation and excellent functional outcomes. He has also published significant data on various squamous cell carcinomas, including early-stage laryngeal cancer and oropharyngeal cancer.

Sona’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Carman Giacomantonio, commented, "I am excited to have Dr. Smylie and Dr. Trites join our scientific advisory board. I have had the privilege of working closely with both gentlemen over the past many years and have a tremendous amount of respect for the experience and wisdom they bring to our table. The clinical course we are embarking upon is truly pioneering. Both Dr. Trites and Dr. Smylie have been pioneers throughout their careers in their respective fields, giving me and my team a tremendous amount confidence as we plan and begin to execute our clinical course going forward."

(Press release, Sona Nanotech, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664440])

On April 16, 2026 MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA) ("MAIA", the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, reported that it has activated the first U.S. clinical site in its Phase 2 THIO-101 expansion trial of its lead investigational therapy as a third-line (3L) treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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"We are thrilled to activate the expansion of our Phase 2 THIO-101 trial in the U.S., bringing our novel treatment to our country’s broad underserved NSCLC patient population. Every year, we estimate approximately 50,000 patients resistant to chemo and CPIs alone advance to third-line NSCLC in the U.S. The medical need is extensive," said Vlad Vitoc, M.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MAIA.

The trial’s expansion into the U.S. marks a key milestone for MAIA, which is expected to open a significantly larger patient pool for evaluation of ateganosine, a novel dual mechanism of action drug candidate incorporating telomere targeting and immunogenicity. In addition to the first location, Summit Medical Group in New Jersey, MAIA intends to open four additional sites in U.S. in 2026. The trial is ongoing in Europe and Asia with 44 active sites in 6 countries.

MAIA’s THIO-101 expansion study evaluates ateganosine in heavily pre-treated patients in 3L NSCLC who have previously failed treatment with checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) and chemotherapy. Two treatment arms are being studied: ateganosine sequenced with cemiplimab (Libtayo) and ateganosine monotherapy. Third-line treatment evaluation in the U.S. is funded by a prestigious $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"The activation of Summit Medical Group as our first U.S. clinical site is a landmark moment for the THIO-101 study. This is expected to further advance ateganosine as a potential best-in-class therapy for third-line NSCLC," said Matthew Failor, MAIA’s Director of Clinical Operations. "Partnering with a premier institution like Summit should allow us to bring this highly innovative telomere-targeting approach to U.S. patients who have limited options."

"We are proud to be the first U.S. site to offer patients access to MAIA’s innovative THIO-101 expansion trial and contribute to advancing a promising new treatment strategy in lung cancer," added Charles J. Kim, M.D., Summit Health oncologist and principal investigator for the THIO-101 trial in New Jersey.

MAIA holds FDA Fast Track designation for its lead drug targeting advanced NSCLC. The Fast Track process is designed to facilitate development and expedite the review of drugs for serious conditions with no treatment options or limited low-efficacy therapies. If relevant criteria are met during the Fast Track process, a drug is eligible for FDA Accelerated Approval and Priority Review (FDA decision within six months).

In 2025, THIO-101 delivered exceptional efficacy data for MAIA’s lead investigational drug sequenced with a checkpoint inhibitor including disease control, response rates, and survival data well above standard of care benchmarks. MAIA recently reported overall survival (OS) beyond two years for eight patients treated with ateganosine sequenced with cemiplimab in Parts A and B of the trial. The eight patients include one with survival of 33 months and four with survival over 30 months. The measures of 3L OS beyond 24 months exceed all known benchmarks for advanced NSCLC treatment. The THIO-101 treatment regimen has shown an acceptable safety profile to date in a heavily pre-treated population.

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.

(Press release, MAIA Biotechnology, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664456])

On April 16, 2026 Whitehawk Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: WHWK), a clinical-stage oncology therapeutics company applying advanced technologies to established tumor biology to efficiently deliver improved antibody drug conjugate (ADC) cancer treatments, reported Dave Lennon, PhD, President and CEO, will participate in a virtual fireside chat as part of the Jones Trading Post-AACR Fireside Chat Series on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 3 PM ET.

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A live webcast of the event can be accessed by visiting the Whitehawk Therapeutics IR website and will be available for replay for approximately 30 days following the event.

(Press release, Whitehawk Therapeutics, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664441])

On April 16, 2026 Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a leader in molecular diagnostic testing and precision medicine, reported that it will share six abstracts, including two podium presentations, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026.

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"AACR is one of the premier forums for oncology research, and we are excited to share the depth of work underway across our MRD and hereditary cancer programs, including two podium presentations demonstrating the exceptional performance of Precise MRD, Myriad’s tumor-informed, ultrasensitive MRD assay," said Dale Muzzey, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Myriad Genetics.

The company will share new results from the MONITOR-Breast study, a prospective, multi-center clinical trial evaluating the performance of Precise MRDTM in breast cancer across all phases of the treatment journey. The data will be shared in a podium presentation on Monday, April 20, 2026 by Dr. Julia Foldi, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center. These results expand on the study’s early insights presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December 2025, including results from a large cohort of patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy with frequent MRD assessment, providing the first high-temporal resolution characterization of ctDNA dynamics in all breast cancer subtypes during neoadjuvant treatment.

"Breast cancer treatment has evolved significantly, but clinicians still face real challenges in assessing how well a patient is responding to therapy in the neoadjuvant setting," said Dr. Foldi. "The data being presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) reveal distinct response patterns that are associated with pathological response and demonstrate that frequent, ultrasensitive MRD testing can provide personalized information about treatment effectiveness. MONITOR-Breast is generating important clinical evidence for Precise MRD in breast cancer that could help oncologists personalize treatment decisions for their patients."

Additionally, Dr. Ranjan Upadhyay from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present the results of a phase II clinical trial. Together, these results from clinical trials continue to build and expand the evidence supporting the performance of the Precise MRD test in breast cancer treatment and surveillance.

The following abstracts will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on April 17-22, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego.

Myriad Genetics Presentations
Session CTMS04 – Focus on ctDNA
Early findings from MONITOR-Breast: ctDNA dynamics during neoadjuvant therapy using an ultrasensitive MRD assay
Podium; Abstract Presentation Number: CT171
Mon., April 20 – 2:50 – 3:00 pm, Hall H – Ground Level – Convention Center
Presenter: Julia Foldi, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Session CTMS04 – Focus on ctDNA
A phase II trial of adjuvant PD-1 blockade with endocrine therapy in hormone receptor positive inflammatory breast cancer: Circulating biomarkers and molecular correlates of clinical outcomes
Podium; Abstract Presentation Number: CT172
Mon., April 20 – 3:05 – 3:15 pm PST, Hall H – Ground Level – Convention Center
Presenter: Ranjan Upadhyay, MD, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Liquid Biopsies: Circulating Nucleic Acids 2
Analytical validation of an ultra-high sensitivity tumor-informed MRD assay
Poster Board Number: 2598
Mon., April 20 – 9:00 am – 12:00 pm PST
Presenter: Ashley Acevedo, PhD, Myriad Genetics

Genetic Epidemiology 1: GxE, GWAS, Polygenic Risk Scores, and Post-GWAS
Independent validation of polygenic risk scores for overall and triple-negative breast cancer among high-risk African American women
Poster Board Number: 3587
Mon., April 20 – 2:00 – 5:00 pm PST
Presenter: Dezheng Huo, PhD, University of Chicago

Liquid Biopsies: Circulating Nucleic Acids 4
Fragmentomic analysis of cfDNA WGS at regulatory regions generates gene-level expression-like traits for subtype analysis in breast cancer
Poster Board Number: 5313
Tues, April 21 – 9:00 am – 12 pm PST
Presenter: James Davison, PhD, GeneCentric Therapeutics, Inc.

Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials in Progress
A pragmatic study of the clinical utility of genomic classifiers in guiding prostate cancer treatment decisions: Impact of treatment selection, oncologic outcomes, and treatment-related adverse events (PROMPT-Bx)
Poster Board Number: 14; Abstract Presentation Number: CT280
Tues., April 21 – 2:00-5:00 pm PST
Presenter: Matthew Schiewer, PhD, Myriad Genetics

Conference Highlights
Myriad will welcome attendees to its booth (#3747) during exhibition hours. Myriad tests to be highlighted at the conference booth include:

Precise MRD (Molecular Residual Disease) Test is a tumor-informed assay that uses whole genome sequencing (WGS) to achieve ultra-sensitivity. This unique assay enables the custom selection of up to 1,000 targeted variants for deep analysis. It has impressive limits of detection and sensitivity.1 The test can be used to monitor circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels throughout a patient’s clinical cancer care, starting immediately after diagnosis and continuing through treatment and surveillance.
MyRisk Hereditary Cancer Test with RiskScore combines genetics, clinical factors (Tyrer-Cuzick), and polygenic risk to uncover insights that gene testing alone may not provide, helping offer more information to support patient decisions in breast cancer risk assessment and management.
Prolaris Prostate Cancer Prognostic Test is a molecular diagnostic test that provides personalized information about the aggressiveness of a patient’s prostate cancer, helping to identify whether it is safe to forgo treatment, whether to pursue treatment, and how much treatment is needed for the best possible outcome. Prolaris is the only biomarker test to quantify the benefits of adding androgen ADT to RT.
The booth will feature Myriad’s Biopharma services which are utilized for working in conjunction with Biopharma partners to advance drug development programs from biomarker discovery through CTA, CDx development, worldwide regulatory approval and global commercialization, including:

MyChoice CDx is the only FDA-approved homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) test specifically mentioned in ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) guidelines for selecting patients with ovarian cancer who may benefit from PARP inhibitors.1 By determining comprehensive HRD status, the MyChoice CDx Test helps expand access to targeted therapy in both early and late-line settings.
MSK-ACCESS is a comprehensive liquid biopsy test developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). The test offers noninvasive cancer genomic profiling and disease monitoring using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) obtained from blood and other body fluids. The test is currently available for use in conjunction with Myriad’s Pharma partnerships for CTA development and CDx utilizing Myriad’s partnership with SOPHiA GENETICS.
MSK-IMPACT is a solid tumor test for comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) which delivers high-resolution profiling of complex biomarkers from DNA and RNA in a single, end-to-end workflow. The test is currently available for use in conjunction with Pharma partnerships for CTA development and CDx utilizing Myriad’s partnership with SOPHiA GENETICS.
Myriad Genetics will also participate in the Exhibitor Spotlight Theater: "Advances in ctDNA Testing towards Biopharma Development & Clinical Dx" on Sun., April 19 from 3:30 – 4:30 pm in Theater B. The Spotlight Theater will highlight Myriad’s latest developments for Precise MRD, as well as the results of Myriad’s collaboration with GeneCentric Therapeutics and its ExpressCT liquid biopsy technology.

References:

Tew WP, Lacchetti C, Birrer MJ, et al. PARP inhibitors in the management of ovarian cancer: ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38(30):3468-3493.
About the MONITOR-Breast Study
MONITOR-Breast is a prospective, multicenter observational study evaluating patients with Stage I-III breast cancer across all subtypes. The study systematically assessed ctDNA using Precise MRD, a tumor-informed whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based assay, at frequent intervals during neoadjuvant therapy, with a median of 9 timepoints per patient. This design enabled a high-resolution, longitudinal analysis of ctDNA dynamics across the neoadjuvant treatment course.

(Press release, Myriad Genetics, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664457])

On April 16, 2026 SOPHiA GENETICS (NASDAQ: SOPH), a global leader in AI-driven precision medicine, reported that the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the leading academic health systems in the United States, will adopt the AI-powered SOPHiA DDM Platform to advance cancer research and enhance genomic testing capabilities.

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Mount Sinai, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York City, supports care for more than 4,000 oncology patients annually. Mount Sinai’s Molecular Pathology team will leverage SOPHiA DDM to strengthen next-generation sequencing (NGS) capabilities for blood cancers and solid tumors. The Platform is designed to enable detection and interpretation of a wide range of complex genomic variants while improving operational efficiency by consolidating critical steps in the analysis pipeline and reducing manual interpretation time.

By combining Mount Sinai’s clinical excellence with SOPHiA DDM’s advanced AI-powered analytics, the hospital will be equipped to interpret complex genomic datasets at scale and optimize laboratory resources, enabling teams to focus on direct patient care.

Jane Houldsworth, Ph.D., Director of Molecular Oncology Pathology of the Mount Sinai Health System, said: "The collaboration between Mount Sinai and SOPHiA GENETICS reinforces our commitment to scientific innovation by integrating powerful digital tools into our workflows to support high-quality, data-driven cancer care. Leveraging SOPHiA DDM has enabled us to reduce hands-on analysis time and improve our testing turnaround times, enabling our clinicians to provide better patient care."

John Carey, Managing Director, North America, SOPHiA GENETICS, said: "Mount Sinai is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading centers for cancer research and was recently ranked No. 1 globally among health care institutions in the Nature AI Index, underscoring its leadership in artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation. We are honored to support their teams with an AI-native platform and global network designed to deliver faster results, greater operational efficiency, and deeper genomic understanding to help shape the future of precision oncology."

By utilizing the SOPHiA DDM for Blood Cancers and SOPHiA DDM for Solid Tumors applications, Mount Sinai joins a growing network of more than 990 global institutions using SOPHiA GENETICS’ decentralized platform to accelerate precision medicine. This collaboration underscores SOPHiA GENETICS’ mission to democratize data-driven medicine, delivering scalable, cloud-native solutions that empower healthcare institutions to expand access to advanced genomic testing and improve patient outcomes worldwide.

The collaboration was announced from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in San Diego. Learn more by connecting with SOPHiA GENETICS at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) booth #4248 from April 17 – 22, 2026.

(Press release, Mount Sinai Hospital, APR 16, 2026, View Source [SID1234664442])