MAIA Biotechnology Welcomes Leading Hepatocellular Carcinoma Clinician-Scientists to Scientific Advisory Board

MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA) (“MAIA”, the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, today announced the appointment of two prominent oncologists to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), Claudia Fulgenzi, MD, and David J. Pinato, MD, MRCP (UK), PhD. Both are specialists in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a tumor type to be studied in future clinical trials of MAIA’s lead candidate ateganosine (THIO) sequenced with a checkpoint inhibitor.

As SAB members they will advise MAIA on designs and protocols for its company sponsored trial (CST) in HCC and may participate in future investigator sponsored trials (IST).

“Drs. Pinato and Fulgenzi are scientific experts on inflammation as a pathogenic and prognostic mechanism in primary liver cancers. Together, their research has focused on improving the treatment of HCC, particularly with the use of anti-cancer immunotherapy,” said MAIA Chairman and CEO Vlad Vitoc, M.D. “They will bring a wealth of knowledge to our SAB, with specialized expertise that will inform our plans and preparations for our upcoming clinical program in HCC.

“By the end of this year, we expect to have all required approvals to begin enrolling patients in a HCC trial,” Dr. Vitoc added.

MAIA was granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ateganosine as a treatment for HCC in 2022. ODDs can provide up to seven years of market exclusivity.

Dr. David Pinato is a clinician scientist in the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London and a consultant oncologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. As Director of Developmental Cancer Therapeutics at Imperial College, he leads a translational research program focused on the early clinical implementation of novel experimental anticancer therapies with particular emphasis on anti-cancer immunotherapy.

Dr. Pinato's research efforts in liver cancer have been recognized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). He has received awards by the British Society of Pharmacology and the Royal Society of Medicine, and fellowships by the European School of Oncology and Fulbright Program.

Dr. Pinato completed his core medical training across some of the busiest acute hospitals in London and was elected to the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP). His research has been published in leading journals in the field including the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, Hepatology and many others. Dr. Pinato lectures internationally in the field of molecular oncology with a specific interest in HCC and acts as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals including The Lancet, Cancer Discovery, Hepatology and Journal of Hepatology.