cizzle biotech develops a new lung cancer test

Focused on early detection of lung cancer via the development of an immunoassay test for the CIZ1 B biomarker

The company

Cizzle Biotechnology PLC is a cancer diagnostics spin-out from the University of York

Cizzle Biotech was initially funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, White Rose Technology Seed Corn Fund, Finance Yorkshire Seedcorn LLP and Viking Members, who with management, invested in the project to support the development of a prototype blood test.

Cizzle Biotech has gained patent protection for its core technology and has developed a laboratory test, which has been used to validate the use of the CIZ1 B biomarker to detect lung cancer.

The science

the CIZ1 B biomarker

CIZ1 Clinical Validation Success

Cizzle Biotech has a laboratory test, which has been used to validate the use of CIZ1 B to detect lung cancer and a proof-of-concept prototype test which is compatible with potential use within a hospital laboratory setting

Mammalian Cell Cycle Research Group

The test is underpinned by 15 years of grant funded basic research into CIZ1 form and function, and its relationship with cancer. This has shown that CIZ1 is part of the nuclear structure that controls gene expression. A variant form, CIZ1 B is produced by lung cancer cells and can be exploited to detect lung cancer.

The Team

Dr Allan Syms

Executive Chairman

Allan is an experienced international life sciences and technology senior executive, with over 30 years’ experience at Board level often as Founder or CEO in creating and through private and public fundraising, building emerging technology businesses through to trade sale and IPO .

Prof. Dawn Coverley

Founder of Cizzle Biotechnology and Non-Executive Director

Dawn is a cell biologist with over 20 years’ experience in cancer-related research. After a first degree in Genetics (Leicester), and a PhD in biochemistry (Cancer Research UK), she completed postdoctoral training at the University of Cambridge, then moved to the University of York to establish an independent research group in 2002, supported by the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine.

Nigel Lee, FCa

Finance Director

Nigel has been a director of CFO Solutions Ltd since 2003 which has provided financial advisory services to the Group since 2010, as well as company secretarial services since 2012. Through CFO Solutions Ltd he also provides financial advisory and company secretarial services to Kent Surrey Sussex AHSN Limited. He was financial director/controller in two IT services and software companies between 1999 to 2003 and prior to that had 11 years of audit and business advisory experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers, including six years as a senior manager. Nigel qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1988.

John Treacy

Non-Executive Director

John is an experienced corporate financier. He qualified as a solicitor in the London office of a major international law firm where he specialised in Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions. From there he moved to practice corporate finance in the advisory teams of several prominent UK brokerages where he advised on numerous IPOs, acquisitions, debt restructurings and placings. John has been a Non-Executive Director of the Company since January 2019. John Chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.