Cizzle Biotechnology, the UK-based cancer diagnostics developer pioneering early lung cancer detection, has entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with a major UK laboratory group that provides diagnostic services to the NHS.

The test is already licensed in North America, and this new intended partnership marks a major step toward making Cizzle’s CIZ1B biomarker blood test available to the NHS and other health providers in the UK. The non-invasive, cost-effective test detects a specific biomarker, CIZ1B, which is highly correlated with early-stage lung cancer, often at a time before symptoms appear and when curative intervention may be possible.

Under the LOI, the laboratory partner will verify and validate the test in collaboration with one of its NHS Foundation Trust partners, which may lead to an agreement for the laboratory partner to become Cizzle’s exclusive UK provider, supporting a co-branded rollout across NHS and private healthcare markets in the UK.

A breakthrough for early detection

Lung cancer remains one of the UK’s deadliest diseases, with survival rates closely tied to how early it is diagnosed. It is the country’s leading cause of cancer death, responsible for around 35,000 deaths each year, roughly one in five of all cancer fatalities. Globally, cancer claims nearly 10 million lives annually.

Early detection is critical to improving survival rates, an ambition that aligns directly with the NHS Long Term Plan to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one or two by 2028, potentially saving 55,000 lives annually. Tests like Cizzle’s CIZ1B could play a crucial role in meeting that goal by identifying lung cancer at its most treatable stage.

Developed from over a decade of research at the University of York by Professor Dawn Coverley, Cizzle’s Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, with the support of Yorkshire Cancer Research, the CIZ1B biomarker test offers a simple alternative to complex imaging procedures such as CT scans or biopsies.

From research lab to real-world impact

“Our work has been focused on the goal of making early cancer detection accessible at scale,” said Allan Syms, Executive Chairman of Cizzle Biotechnology. “This LOI is a major milestone for Cizzle, and for the future of early cancer detection in the UK.”

“This is about getting ahead of cancer, not chasing it when the cancer has already become well advanced. The ability to detect lung cancer early, through a simple, non-invasive test, has the potential to save thousands of lives every year and ease pressure on the NHS.

“We’re also deeply grateful to our shareholders for their continued support. Their confidence allows us to take innovation out of the lab and into hospitals where it can make a real difference to patients and their families.”

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