MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA) (“MAIA”, the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, announced that the European Patent Office has decided to grant a patent broadly covering a portfolio of ateganosine-based analogues for telomere-targeting anticancer therapy and methods of using ateganosine (THIO) alone or before administration of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs). The patent, titled “Mercaptopurine Ribonucleoside Analogues for Altering Telomerase Mediated Telomere,” was invented by MAIA’s Chief Scientific Officer Sergei M. Gryaznov, PhD and Scientific Advisory Board member Jerry W. Shay, PhD.

“Mercaptopurine nucleoside analogues are cancer-fighting immunosuppressive agents that disrupt the structure and function of telomeres and reduce immune system activity, interfering with the growth of cancer cells and causing programmed cancer cell death. As an important extension of MAIA’s innovative cancer treatment platform, these new compounds are key next-generation telomere-targeting agents with potentially improved specificity towards cancer cells relative to normal cells and with potentially increased anticancer activity,” said Dr. Gryaznov.

“The new IP is expected to further secure and expand the value of our first-in-class telomere-targeting compounds across the European scientific community,” added MAIA Chairman and CEO Vlad Vitoc, M.D.

MAIA’s global patent and patent-pending estate covers several areas including telomerase mediated telomere altering compounds and treatment of therapy-resistant cancers. Further, ateganosine’s immunogenic treatment strategy, which focuses on sequential combination with checkpoint inhibitors, has been filed worldwide. MAIA’s IP portfolio for ateganosine currently comprises 10 issued patents worldwide including Europe (validated in 19 countries) along with 24 pending patent applications.