Cizzle Bio CEO Bill Behnke Participates in National Oncology Commercialization Panel at City of Hope's 25th Ci4CC Summit
SAN ANTONIO, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cizzle Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company advancing innovative biomarker blood tests for the early detection of lung and gastric cancers, announced today that its founder and Chief Executive Officer Bill Behnke participated in a featured panel discussion at the 25th Cancer Center Informatics Society (Ci4CC) Summit, held May 8-9 in San Diego and chaired by City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The panel, entitled "Commercialization of Cancer Therapies: Bench to Bedside Drug Development Pipeline," brought together leaders across translational science, oncology innovation, and biotechnology commercialization to discuss pathways for accelerating the development of next-generation cancer technologies.
The discussion was chaired and moderated by Linda Malkas, PhD, who serves as dean of Translational Science and External Affairs at City of Hope and is internationally recognized for her research on DNA replication, cancer cell biology, and translational therapeutics.
Additional panelists included Larry Kwak, MD, PhD, who serves as CEO and chief scientific officer of PreproMene Bio, a biotechnology company advancing novel treatments including CAR-T cell and targeted antibody therapies, and Rick Heinick, CEO of SLAM BioTherapeutics, a company focused on developing targeted oncology therapies that integrate molecular science and precision medicine.
Celebrating more than 12 years of leadership in oncology informatics and translational collaboration, the 25th Ci4CC Summit convened national leaders from academia, industry, government, technology, and patient advocacy to explore the future of interconnected cancer data ecosystems. The summit focused on advancing precision oncology through scalable learning health systems, multimodal data integration, interoperability, and collaborative frameworks designed to accelerate the translation of scientific discovery into improved patient care.
During the panel discussion, Behnke highlighted the growing importance of combining innovative diagnostics, real-world clinical data, and translational partnerships to improve early cancer detection and patient outcomes.
"As oncology continues to evolve toward more personalized and data-driven care, the ability to translate scientific innovation into clinically accessible tools is critically important," said Behnke. "Cizzle Bio is advancing biomarker blood tests that can help identify cancer early when more treatment options are available. Participating in this important discussion alongside leaders in translational oncology underscores the collaborative effort required to bring meaningful innovation from bench to bedside."
Behnke also discussed Cizzle Bio's progress toward the near-term launch of its innovative early cancer detection biomarker blood tests for licensed U.S. healthcare providers.
The company's CIZ1B biomarker blood test is designed to support early detection of lung cancer through identification of a tumor-associated protein variant strongly linked to early-stage disease. Developed from foundational research at the University of York, the minimally invasive test has demonstrated 95% sensitivity for Stage I lung cancer and 96% negative predictive value (NPV). Unlike multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests that rely on circulating tumor DNA and methylation signals that may be difficult to detect in early-stage disease, CIZ1B is designed to detect a stable and abundant tumor-associated protein biomarker linked to lung cancer biology.
Cizzle Bio is also preparing for the launch of DEX-G2, a novel biomarker blood test for early gastric cancer detection. The assay utilizes a proprietary, AI-driven exosomal microRNA signature developed at City of Hope and validated in the multicenter DESTINEX clinical study published in JAMA Surgery. The test demonstrated 95% sensitivity in detecting early-stage gastric cancer and strong specificity in distinguishing individuals with gastric cancer from non-cancer controls. DEX-G2 is designed to help address the urgent need for more accessible approaches to gastric cancer detection.
Together, lung and gastric cancers account for more than 7,500 deaths globally each day, underscoring the critical need for innovative approaches that support earlier diagnosis and intervention.
About Cizzle Bio, Inc.
Cizzle Bio is a Texas-based biotechnology company dedicated to revolutionizing cancer diagnostics by advancing biomarker-based blood tests, starting with early detection of lung and gastric cancers. The company's focus is to empower patients, equip clinicians, and improve outcomes through innovation, compassion, and lifesaving solutions. Cizzle Bio holds exclusive licensing rights for its groundbreaking CIZ1B biomarker test in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean and a worldwide exclusive license for its DEX-G2 biomarker gastric cancer test. The company is commercializing both tests for U.S. clinical environments.
CizzleBio.com
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