# Cizzle Biotechnology reports encouraging progress with St George Street Capital

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/cizzle-biotechnology-reports-encouraging-progress-with-st-george-street-capital/4121021480
- Published: 2021-09-09T07:29:41+01:00
- Author: Giles

**Cizzle Biotechnology plc** (LON:CIZ), the UK based diagnostics developer, has 
provided an update on its collaboration with St George Street Capital, the UK-based
biomedical charity.  As announced on 22 June 2021, Cizzle Biotechnology signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with SGSC covering a proposed collaboration between 
the parties to develop a companion diagnostic platform for which Cizzle Biotechnology
will receive fees of up to £1 million.  Further, under the MoU, SGSC has agreed 
to grant Cizzle Biotechnology potential future royalty payments from the commercialisation
of St George Street Capital’s therapeutic asset AZD1656 of up to £5 million, plus
potentially further payments from the use of the companion diagnostic.

SGSC has today announced the results of the ARCADIA trial; a phase II, randomised,
double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 153 patients to assess the safety
and efficacy of AZD1656 in diabetic patients hospitalised with suspected or confirmed
COVID-19.  The initiation of the ARCADIA trial was the result of an existing collaboration
between SGSC and AstraZeneca as part of its Open Innovation Programme and it was
funded by international investment through Excalibur Medicines Ltd and an HM Government
grant through the UKRI/Innovate UK programme.

SGSC reported there are no safety concerns raised regarding the use of AZD1656 in
this patient population and they confirmed that there were strong trends in favour
of AZD1656 with respect to mortality.  The data from the ARCADIA trial supports 
continued investigation of AZD1656 for the treatment of diabetics with COVID-19 
and in light of these encouraging results, St George Street Capital will undertake
commercial discussions with potential licencees and/or fundraise for further clinical
trials to investigate AZD1656 in a larger study.

Following signature of the MoU, Cizzle Biotechnology expects to enter into a full
commercial contract in due course.  Whilst any royalty payments to Cizzle Biotechnology
are contingent on the successful development of AZD1656, today’s announcement by
SGSC on the positive results from its clinical trial is significant step forward
in Cizzle Biotechnology realising the full potential of its royalty rights in AZD1656.

> **Commenting, Allan Syms, Executive Chairman of Cizzle Biotechnology, said:** “
> We congratulate St George Street Capital on the success of its ARCADIA clinical
> trial.  This further supports our longer-term ambitions to work closely with St
> George Street Capital and to leverage the technology and know-how of Cizzle Biotechnology
> to match diagnostic capabilities with therapeutic need.  This will increase product
> opportunities and potential revenue streams for the Company, in addition to our
> core focus on developing our blood test for the early detection of a majority 
> of the different forms of lung cancer.”

> **Commenting, Professor John Martin of UCL, Chairman of SGSC, said:** “The completion
> of ARCADIA marks a significant milestone in the history of the charity St George
> Street Capital.  We have demonstrated our ability to rapidly deliver a clinical
> trial in an area of unmet clinical need, thus fulfilling our mission to accelerate
> the development of new treatments for people who need them.  The promising results
> from this trial indicate that AZD1656, a simple oral tablet, has the potential
> to become a new treatment for COVID-19 – independent of viral mutations – initiating
> a new wave of therapies for clinicians in meeting this global challenge.”

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