Cizzle Biotechnology plc (LON:CIZ), the UK based diagnostics developer, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Behnke Group, a Texas-based healthcare consulting firm with decades of experience collaborating with healthcare organizations across the USA and internationally. The relationship will build on Cizzle Biotechnology’s announcement on 6 May 2022 that it had signed a heads of terms to partner with CorePath Laboratories, a full service cancer reference laboratory, to develop and offer its proprietary early-stage lung cancer test throughout the USA. The Behnke Group was responsible for identifying and facilitating the Company’s deal with CorePath and the agreement with them is designed to enhance Cizzle Biotechnology’s expansion into the US markets through the Behnke Group’s network of connections in the clinical and healthcare industry.
Highlights
· Agreement signed with Behnke Group, USA, to promote, identify and facilitate partnerships for Cizzle Biotechnology with healthcare providers and businesses in the USA.
· The Behnke Group to establish targeted lead generation campaigns to aid formulating marketing and branding strategies and work with their network of USA based health systems, clinical diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies.
· The Behnke Group will work together with CorePath, a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (“CLIA”) and College of American Pathologists accredited laboratory, to assist the Company.
Background
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the USA, in part because early-stage lung cancer can be asymptomatic, allowing the disease to progress and resulting in poor 5-year survival rates*. Currently, there are no simple specific blood tests to detect lung cancer early when targeted interventions can improve timely access to cancer care and save lives.
Cizzle Biotechnology is developing a blood test for the early detection of lung cancer. Its technology 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.
The Company announced on 6 May 2022 that it had signed a heads of terms with CorePath to provide the company’s CIZ 1B early stage lung cancer test and the agreement with the Behnke Group now provides Cizzle Biotechnology with access to a leading-edge healthcare consulting group that focusses specifically on companies with the most innovative and viable products and services to expand its presence in the USA.
Commenting, Allan Syms, Executive Chairman of Cizzle Biotechnology, said:
“The USA is a strategically important market for us because of the high prevalence of lung cancer and the resulting loss of life, which could be improved through the implementation of a simple blood test. We are pleased to announce the agreement with the Behnke Group, who will help build on our partnership with CorePath Laboratories who are developing our biomarker into a certified test, and will use their extensive network with hospitals, clinicians, and the wider healthcare industry to enhance our presence in the USA. Together we intend to accelerate the wide adoption of our early-stage cancer detection technology.”
Commenting, Bill Behnke, Founder of The Behnke Group, said:
“I recently attended ASCO22, a major clinical sciences conference in Chicago, USA, where multiple meetings evidenced considerable interest in Cizzle Biotechnology’s entry into the USA. Cizzle Biotechnology fits perfectly with the Behnke Group’s mission to achieve better outcomes, lower costs and improve the health and safety of patients. We are excited to add Cizzle Biotechnology to our portfolio of game changing businesses.”
* https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html
