TORONTO and HOUSTON, Nov. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (“Medicenna” or the “Company”) (TSX: MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing Superkines™ for cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced that it has completed enrollment in its global Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 study of MDNA11. The Company will host a live key opinion leaders (KOL) webinar on November 10, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, to discuss updated data from the study.
As previously announced on October 5, 2026, updated data from ABILITY-1 will be presented by Prof. Paolo Ascierto, during an oral session at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2026 Annual Meeting on November 7th, 2026. The abstract was selected as one of the meeting’s Top 150 Abstracts.
MDNA11 is an investigational, long-acting IL-2 Superkine designed to activate and expand cancer-fighting immune cells. ABILITY-1 is evaluating MDNA11 both as a monotherapy and in combination with Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab). Overall, a total of 152 patients from Canada, US, Australia, Europe and South Korea were enrolled in this global study.
“Achieving our target enrollment in ABILITY-1 is an important milestone for the development of MDNA11 as we demonstrate the potential benefits of an engineered beta-enhanced IL-2 Superkine,” said Fahar Merchant, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Medicenna. “We believe MDNA11 has the potential to expand treatment options for patients with advanced cancers where significant unmet needs remain. ABILITY-1 is helping us define its potential role both as a standalone therapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, and guide the next stage of clinical development. We are grateful to the patients, their families, physicians and clinical teams for their enthusiasm to achieve our target enrollment. We look forward to presenting the updated data at SITC 2026 on November 7th and discussing the findings during our KOL webinar on November 10 th.”
The webinar will feature Medicenna’s management team, Dr. Hussein A. Tawbi, MD, PhD, Professor of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Director of Personalized Cancer Therapy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Dr. André Mansinho, MD, MSc, a principal investigator in the Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 study. Dr. Mansinho is the Director of Clinical Research at START Lisbon, Portugal, and a clinical researcher at the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM).
Medicenna KOL Webinar – Event Details
Date: November 10, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EST
Format: Live Webinar with Q&A
Registration: Participants can register using this link: https://lifescievents.com/event/mjg29kp/. A replay will be available on Medicenna’s website following the event.
About Dr. Hussein A. Tawbi, MD, PhD
Dr. Hussein A. Tawbi is a Professor of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Director of Personalized Cancer Therapy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He also serves as Director of the Immuno-Oncology Clinical Drug Development Program and Co-Leader of MD Anderson’s Melanoma Moon Shot. He also co-founded and co-directs the Andrew M. McDougall Brain Metastasis Clinic and Research Program. Dr. Tawbi specializes in melanoma, immuno-oncology and the clinical development of innovative cancer therapeutics, with particular expertise in immune checkpoint inhibitors, treatment resistance and melanoma brain metastases. He has served as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials evaluating novel immunotherapies and combination treatment strategies and has made significant contributions to advancing personalized approaches to cancer treatment. Dr Tawbi has been a recipient of numerous honors, including Irwin H. Krakoff Award for Excellence in Clinical Research, The Otis W. and Pearl L. Walters Faculty Achievement Award in Clinical Research and MD Anderson President’s Award for Faculty Excellence. Dr. Tawbi has over 180 publications in high impact journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nature, Science, Nature Medicine among others. He is Co-Chair of the SITC PD-1 Resistance Committee and in 2020 he was appointed to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Dr. Tawbi obtained his MD in 2001 from the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon and completed his training in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh His clinical training was coupled with a PhD degree in Clinical and Translational Science.
About Dr. André Mansinho, MD, MSc
Dr. André Mansinho is Director of Clinical Research at START Lisbon, Portugal, and a clinical researcher at the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM). He earned his Integrated Master’s Degree in Medicine from NOVA Medical School – Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, in 2011. Following his medical studies, he completed his general medical residency at Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental and his residency in Medical Oncology at Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte. He is also an invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, where he has been involved in teaching and academic activities in oncology.
Dr. Mansinho specializes in the clinical development of innovative cancer therapies, with particular expertise in early-phase clinical trials, precision medicine and the treatment of genitourinary, gastrointestinal and skin cancers. He completed a clinical research fellowship at START in 2017 and has participated in numerous international clinical trials evaluating novel oncology treatments, including immunotherapies and targeted therapies. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and has contributed to peer-reviewed scientific publications and oncology research.
About ABILITY-1
ABILITY-1 (NCT05086692) is an open-label, multicenter Phase 1/2 dose-escalation and expansion study evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and anti-tumor activity of MDNA11 both alone and in combination with pembrolizumab, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Previously disclosed ABILITY-1 results showed an objective response rate (ORR) of 36% with MDNA11 monotherapy (n=14) and 43% with MDNA11 in combination with pembrolizumab (n=14), in patients treated in the second or third line or following resistance to checkpoint inhibitors for melanoma, endometrial and gastrointestinal cancers, as disclosed on February 13, 2026.
About Medicenna Therapeutics
Medicenna is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing engineered cytokine therapies designed to selectively engage the immune system to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. Medicenna is advancing MDNA11, a long-acting IL-2 Superkine designed to selectively activate cancer-fighting immune cells, which is currently being evaluated in the Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 study and the Phase 1b NEO-CYT study. The Company is also developing MDNA113, a targeted PD-1 x IL-2 bifunctional immunotherapy for solid tumors, and MDNA209, an antagonist of CD122 blocking IL-2/IL-15 signaling, using its proprietary BiSKIT and T-MASK platforms. The Company’s most advanced program, bizaxofusp (formerly MDNA55), is a targeted IL-4 Empowered Superkine that has been evaluated in more than 130 patients across five clinical trials, including a Phase 2b study in recurrent glioblastoma. Bizaxofusp has received Fast Track designation from the FDA, and Orphan Drug designation from the FDA and orphan designation in the EU.
For more information, visit www.medicenna.com, and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing and content of the planned updated ABILITY-1 data presentation at SITC 2026, the KOL webinar, the upcoming data release, the continued clinical development and potential therapeutic benefits of MDNA11, and the Company’s future operations, plans, objectives and expectations. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as “will”, “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe”, “seek”, “potentially” and similar expressions, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include the risks detailed in the latest annual information form of the Company and in other filings made by the Company with the applicable securities regulators from time to time in Canada.
The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and except as required by law, we do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements.
This news release contains hyperlinks to information that is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in this news release.
Investor and Company Contact
Daniel Scarr
Director, Corporate Development
Medicenna Therapeutics
ir@medicenna.com
Media gallery
