Good Morning Market Enthusiast,

We don’t usually revisit a company this quickly.

When we do, it’s because something meaningful has changed.

The last time we featured MAIA Biotechnology (NYSE American: MAIA), the company delivered an intraday move of over 15%, and over 20% from the previous close. It caught attention fast. That wasn’t luck. It was positioning meeting new information.

Now we’re stepping back in.

Not because we need content.

Because the setup has materially strengthened — and the timing layer may matter more than most people realize.

MAIA just published its 2026 Letter to Shareholders, outlining accelerating Phase 3 momentum for its lead candidate, ateganosine (THIO).

(2)

This isn’t incremental progress.

This is registrational-stage development.

That distinction matters.

Exploratory biotech stories are about possibility.

Registrational trials are about execution.

MAIA is now firmly in execution territory.

Phase 3 Is Underway — With Fast Track Status 🔔  (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)

Ateganosine is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 3 trial designed to support full approval in third-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

This population represents roughly 50,000 patients annually in the United States alone — patients who have progressed after checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy.

Importantly, there is no clearly defined standard of care in third-line NSCLC. Most oncologists default to chemotherapy, which historically produces poor outcomes.

MAIA is not trying to compete head-to-head with frontline immunotherapies.

It is positioning ateganosine as the foundation of a new treatment category after CPI and chemotherapy failure.

That strategic positioning creates a differentiated commercial opportunity within a $50 billion global immunotherapy market.

The company also holds FDA Fast Track designation for ateganosine in this setting. Fast Track is not cosmetic. It allows for more frequent regulatory engagement and creates potential for accelerated review pathways depending on interim data.

According to management, Bayesian statistical modeling indicates a high probability of technical success for interim and full analyses.

That modeling is grounded in previously generated clinical data.

Which brings us to the most important part of this story.

(2)

The Data Changes the Tone 📊 (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)

In earlier clinical studies, ateganosine delivered:

• 17.8 months median overall survival
• Compared to ~5.8 months for standard chemotherapy
• 88% disease control rate

That represents roughly a threefold improvement in survival versus standard of care in heavily pretreated patients.

These are not marginal deltas.

These are regulator-relevant outcomes in a population with limited options.

The mechanism of action is also differentiated.

Ateganosine is the first and only direct telomere-targeting anticancer agent currently in clinical development worldwide.

Cancer cells rely on telomerase to maintain telomeres — protective chromosome caps that allow them to divide indefinitely. By targeting telomeres directly, ateganosine attacks what is effectively the cancer cell’s “immortality” mechanism.

But it does more.

Ateganosine also activates immune pathways, including cGAS/STING signaling, generating both innate and adaptive immune responses.

In preclinical models, sequential treatment with ateganosine followed by PD-(L)1 inhibitors resulted in profound and persistent tumor regression, along with immune memory.

In simple terms:

It damages cancer cells directly — and may help the immune system recognize and attack them.

That dual mechanism is part of what has attracted strategic partnerships.

(2)

Institutional Validation 🤝  (1)(2)(7)(8)(9)(10)

MAIA has secured clinical supply and master agreements with global pharmaceutical companies, including Roche and BeOne Medicines, allowing combination testing alongside established checkpoint inhibitors.

Large pharmaceutical companies do not casually align themselves with weak science.

These partnerships reflect diligence and confidence in mechanism.

They also allow MAIA to advance development without absorbing full combination therapy cost risk.

When you combine:

• Differentiated science
• Positive survival data
• Regulatory engagement
• Strategic pharma relationships

You move from speculative narrative to structured development thesis.

Insider Alignment 🔎  (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)

Insiders hold approximately 13+% of outstanding shares, representing about 5 million shares.

More notably, leadership participated in capital raises during 2025 to support the transition into Phase 3.

In biotech, insiders often reduce exposure ahead of pivotal trials.

Here, leadership increased exposure.

That doesn’t guarantee outcome.

But it signals conviction.

The Month-End Layer: The “Monthly Exodus” 📅

Now add timing.

We are at month-end.

While there is no formal expiration event, institutional fund managers operate under monthly reporting structures. They produce statements. They disclose positions. They explain performance.

Carrying an underwater short position into a month-end statement is rarely comfortable.

When a biotech strengthens its development narrative — initiates Phase 3, reinforces regulatory pathway, publishes forward-looking shareholder communication — short sellers reassess risk.

We call this the Monthly Exodus.

It is not guaranteed.

It is not mechanical.

But reporting cycles can create subtle pressure to clean up books before statements close.

The last time we featured MAIA, the company moved over 15% intraday.

Momentum combined with positioning adjustments can amplify volatility.

As month-end approaches, that dynamic should not be ignored. 

Why We’re Repeating Coverage 📣

We rarely issue rapid repeat coverage.

We do it when:

1. A prior call demonstrated measurable market sensitivity
2. New fundamental information strengthens the thesis 
3. Timing dynamics introduce additional volatility potential
    

All three conditions are present.

MAIA is no longer a passive watchlist company.

It is an active Phase 3 oncology platform targeting an underserved population within a $50B market.

It holds Fast Track status.

It has produced survival data that materially exceeded standard of care.

It maintains strategic pharma collaboration.

Insiders are aligned.

Analyst models reflect a substantial valuation gap.

And we are entering a reporting cycle where positioning adjustments often accelerate.

This is not about hype.

It is about recognizing when probability structures shift.

Biotech rarely reprices slowly once attention shifts.

It moves.

The question is whether that move happens incrementally — or all at once.

We’ve seen how quickly this name can respond.

We are watching closely.

To your success,

Max Masters

Co-founder, Market Tips Newsletter

Sources:
1. https://bit.ly/3LqsROV
2. https://bit.ly/49Pbnnt
3. https://bit.ly/4sSDZ84
4. https://bit.ly/3LRvw4g
5. https://ir.maiabiotech.com/
6. https://maiabiotech.com/
7. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/MAIA/
8. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/maia-biotechnology-advances-ateganosine-cancer-151500344.html
9. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/diamond-equity-research-releases-note-130000503.html
10. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/maia-biotechnology-phase-3-momentum-134500266.html

Paid Promotion. Momentum Media LLC has been hired for a period beginning on 02/26/2026 and ending on 02/27/2026 (the “Campaign”) to publicly disseminate information about MAIA Biotechnology Inc. (MAIA:US). Momentum Media LLC has been compensated $7,500.00 and are owed an additional $0 for the Campaign. To date, we have been paid $114,600.00. Please read Momentum Media LLC’s complete disclaimer at https://markettips.net/disclaimer/ which includes important information. Emojis, graphics and/or images used herein have no specific or implied meaning, and are used for artistic purposes only. Nothing contained herein is financial advice. Momentum Media LLC is not an analyst, st.o.ck broker, financial adviser or st.o.ck picker nor is it qualified to act in the capacity of any of the foregoing. Information herein is a paid advertisement and should not be relied upon as accurate or complete.