LONDON: Cizzle Biotechnology, the UK based diagnostics developer, has entered into a further research agreement with the University of York for the development of potential applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. This includes the evaluation of the Company’s proprietary biomarker for detecting a multiple range of cancers in addition to the existing programme for early lung cancer detection.
Highlights
· New 12-month research and development agreement with the University of York
· All intellectual property rights arising from the work to be owned by the Company
· Strengthens the Company’s position in creating new solutions for early cancer diagnostics and therapeutic tools
· Extends access to expert resource and capability for developing the Company’s early detection tests for lung cancer and potentially other forms of cancer
This new agreement, to commence for a period of 12 months from 25 June 2022, follows the successful programme announced on 17 September 2021 for the development and validation of molecular tools with potential application in cancer diagnosis or therapy, and their configuration into assays for Cizzle Biotechnology’s proprietary cancer biomarker variants. Cizzle Biotechnology will own all intellectual property rights arising from the work which strengthens the Company’s position in creating new solutions for early cancer diagnostics and therapeutic tools.
Cizzle Biotechnology’s origins were as a spin out from the University of York based on research and development by Professor Dawn Coverley at the University. This new agreement builds on the continuing long-term collaboration between Cizzle Biotechnology and the University of York, providing access to leading edge research facilities and expertise.
Commenting, Allan Syms, Executive Chairman of Cizzle Biotechnology, said: “The challenge of developing breakthrough early-stage diagnostic tests and therapies for cancer is extraordinary and working closely with one of the world’s premier research-intensive institutions greatly facilitates Cizzle Biotechnology’s ambitions to provide simple, rapid tests that can detect cancer early when curative surgical intervention is possible. This new agreement extends our access to expert resource and capability for developing our early detection tests for lung cancer and potentially other forms of cancer.”
Cizzle Biotechnology is developing a blood test for the early detection of lung cancer. Cizzle Biotechnology is a spin- out from the University of York, founded in 2006 around the work of Professor Coverley and colleagues. Its proof-of-concept prototype test is based on the ability to detect a stable plasma biomarker, a variant of CIZ1 known as CIZ1B. CIZ1 is a naturally occurring cell nuclear protein involved in DNA replication, and the targeted CIZ1B variant is highly correlated with early stage lung cancer.