Full Press Release Details
Biotechnology Appoints Leading Immuno-Oncology Scientist Dr. Remus Vezan as Scientific Advisor
IL - February 27, 2024 - MAIA Biotechnology, Inc., (NYSE American: MAIA) ("MAIA", the "Company"), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, today announced the appointment of immuno-oncology leader Remus
Vezan, M.D., Ph.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).
over 20 years of academic and biopharmaceutical industry experience, Dr. Vezan is a highly regarded leader in drug development of novel
therapeutic modalities, including cell and gene therapies, and played a pivotal role in the development and approval of CAR-T cell products
TECARTUS and YESCARTA (Gilead), and kinase inhibitor IMBRUVICA (AbbVie). Dr. Vezan currently serves as Vice President,
Global Clinical Development at BeiGene.
Vezan holds vast experience in guiding oncology assets through all stages of development, from research to clinical strategies and registration.
His extensive engagement with the regulatory agencies to maximize clinical and commercial opportunities has been instrumental in garnering
multiple FDA and global approvals for novel therapies including biologics and CAR-T cell products," said Vlad Vitoc, M.D., MAIA's
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "It is a pleasure to welcome Remus to the MAIA franchise, where he will provide valued guidance
along our pathway to approval and commercialization of our lead candidate THIO."
as executive director of clinical development at Kite Pharma (Gilead Sciences), Dr. Vezan was primarily responsible for managing and
overseeing the clinical development of CART-cell products, including axi-cell/YESCARTA , the first CART-cell therapy approved for
relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma, and brexu-cell/TECARTUS , the first CART-cell therapy approved for mantle cell lymphoma and
adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Earlier, Remus served as Medical Director at Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie Company, where he was the clinical
lead for IMBRUVICA in lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas.
Vezan's therapeutic expertise includes both hematology and oncology, with various treatment modalities including next generation
small molecules and adaptive cellular therapies (CAR-T, NK, autologous, allogeneic).
Remus Vezan commented, "It is my pleasure and privilege to join MAIA as scientific advisor and support the efforts of the MAIA
team in advancing the clinical development of its first-in-class telomere targeting agent. THIO is a next generation asset with the potential
to provide meaningful clinical benefit to many patients with malignancies."
Vezan completed his medical training (M.D. and Ph.D.) at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj, Romania, and University of Bern,
Switzerland. He holds multiple medical and scientific affiliations including the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the European Hematology
Association (EHA), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). His work has appeared in numerous scientific papers and publications.
Remus Vezan, M.D., Ph.D.
Advisor to MAIA Biotechnology
(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 (THIO)
induces telomerase-dependent telomeric DNA modification, DNA damage responses, and selective cancer cell death. THIO-damaged telomeric
fragments accumulate in cytosolic micronuclei and activates both innate (cGAS/STING) and adaptive (T-cell) immune responses. The sequential
treatment with THIO 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. THIO 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.
MAIA Biotechnology, Inc.
is a targeted therapy, immuno-oncology company focused on the development and commercialization of potential first-in-class drugs with
novel mechanisms of action that are intended to meaningfully improve and extend the lives of people with cancer. Our lead program is
THIO, a potential first-in-class cancer telomere targeting agent in clinical development for the treatment of NSCLC patients with telomerase-positive
cancer cells. For more information, please visit www.maiabiotech.com.
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