California, USA (CU)_ MAIA Biotechnology, Inc., a targeted therapy and immuno-oncology firm specialized in producing potential high-quality oncology drugs, has reached a research and collaboration agreement with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital to assess the potential of THIO together with current standard-of-care therapies for cancer. THIO is MAIA’s unique, telomere-targeting small molecule in its testing stages being evaluated for its efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As a result of this research partnership, the institutions will perform preclinical studies to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of THIO together with radiation and immune checkpoint inhibitors in vitro and in vivo.
Vlad Vitoc, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MAIA, expressed delight over the collaboration. He said, “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”. He added, “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.”
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, expressed optimism over the partnership. He said, “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”. He added, “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, said, “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.”
