Good Morning Team.
Please enjoy my conversation with Allan, covering both the science and the business behind Cizzle’s lung cancer blood test.
We talked about what Cizzle is and the problem it’s trying to solve, Allan’s own background and his path to becoming Executive Chairman, his relationship with Professor Dawn Coverley and the University of York research the test is built on, and the rest of the leadership team in the UK and US.
We talked about the science from scratch - the CIZ1B biomarker and why finding it in blood helps catch lung cancer early, why early detection matters so much for patent outcomes, how lung cancer is screened for today and where that falls short, how the test is actually performed and whether any lab can run it, the clinical evidence behind it and whether that evidence is from the commercial or an earlier research version of the test, and how Cizzle’s approach compares to other blood-based cancer tests in development.
We talked about regulation and the business model - the test’s CLIA accreditation, what that means and why it matters, whether a doctor can order the test today, the patent protection in place and what stops a competitor copying it, and progress toward NHS approval in the UK.
On the money side, we talked about how Cizzle actually earns revenue, who its US commercial partner is and why that deal shifts cost and risk onto them, what’s been paid so far and how its equity stake in the US partner is valued.
We also talked about market size and competition — the realistic and blue sky US market opportunity, expected share and timeframe, where insurance reimbursement stands, and why a hospital or insurer might pick a single-cancer test over a broader multi-cancer one — and closed on the concrete milestones shareholders should watch for over the next year.
Tune in!
