GeneCentric Secures $8M Series C to Commercialize RNA-Based Liquid Biopsy Platform
核心洞察
GeneCentric Therapeutics (搜索) closed an $8 million Series C financing round led by Hatteras Venture Partners (搜索) to commercialize its GenomicsNext platform, which combines gene expression analysis with DNA variant detection in liquid biopsies.
The company's ExpressCT technology enables measurement of gene expression from circulating tumor DNA, addressing limitations of current liquid biopsy assays that focus solely on DNA mutations.
GenomicsNext is expected to launch commercially in 2025 as a research tool for biopharmaceutical companies, with funding providing runway through 2026.
GeneCentric Therapeutics (搜索) has secured $8 million in Series C financing to advance the commercialization of GenomicsNext, a novel liquid biopsy platform that simultaneously measures gene expression and DNA variants from a single blood sample. The funding round was led by Hatteras Venture Partners (搜索), with participation from existing investors IAG Capital Partners (搜索), Alexandria Venture Investments (搜索), and Labcorp.
The financing will support the launch of GenomicsNext, described as the first integrated platform for comprehensive liquid biopsy testing that provides thousands of gene expression measurements alongside high-fidelity DNA variant detection from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA (搜索)). The funding is expected to provide cash runway through 2026.
Addressing Current Liquid Biopsy Limitations
Current liquid biopsy technologies primarily focus on measuring DNA mutations while largely ignoring gene expression, which limits their clinical utility. According to Kirk Beebe, Chief Scientific Officer of GeneCentric, "Gene expression is a powerful diagnostic adjunct to traditional DNA alterations, but unlike tumor tissue profiling today, gene expression measurement is largely missing from liquid biopsy assays."
This limitation means that important biomarkers for targeted therapy, such as HER2 (搜索) or markers for antibody-drug conjugates, are not measured by most current assays, potentially delaying diagnosis and administration of targeted oncology (搜索) therapeutics.
ExpressCT Technology Platform
GeneCentric's breakthrough lies in its ExpressCT technology, which measures gene expression using information embedded in ctDNA (搜索). Building on over a decade of expertise in gene expression analysis, the company developed this approach to provide a more complete liquid biopsy solution for precision oncology (搜索).
"With a single blood sample from a cancer (搜索) patient, our GenomicsNext liquid biopsy platform can determine the gene expression of drug target genes, molecular subtypes, and predictive gene signatures, in addition to mutations and fusions," said Mike Milburn, President and CEO of GeneCentric Therapeutics (搜索).
The platform is powered by GeneCentric's proprietary Tumour Functional Taxonomy (TFT), a classification system that segments tumours based on RNA expression profiles to identify optimal therapeutic strategies. This approach captures the functional state of tumours, enabling clinicians to better match therapies and monitor evolving resistance mechanisms.
Investor Confidence in RNA Diagnostics
Clay Thorp, General Partner at Hatteras Venture Partners (搜索), highlighted the platform's potential: "GenomicsNext has the potential to become the 'decoder ring' for translating a broad array of tissue-based biomarkers into liquid biopsy formats. This could transform how patients are identified and how disease and treatments are monitored."
The investment reflects growing recognition of RNA-based diagnostics as critical to the future of oncology (搜索). According to Graysen Vigneux, Medical Analyst at GlobalData (搜索), "RNA captures the functional state of tumours, enabling clinicians to better match therapies and monitor evolving resistance mechanisms. This marks a clear shift toward more nuanced and adaptive approaches in cancer (搜索) care."
Commercial Timeline and Applications
GeneCentric expects to make the GenomicsNext platform commercially available as a research tool for biopharmaceutical companies in 2025. The company plans to utilize the funding to expand its biomarker development programs, support regulatory and commercial pathways, and accelerate partnerships with biopharma companies.
The platform will accelerate the growth of GeneCentric's pipeline of predictive response signatures for oncology (搜索) therapeutics development. The company commercializes its technology through strategic collaborations with biopharmaceutical and diagnostics companies across preclinical testing, clinical drug development, and commercialization phases.
Vigneux noted that "RNA diagnostics are gaining traction because they answer questions DNA can't—particularly around how a tumour behaves at a given moment. GeneCentric is well-positioned to capitalise on this trend, offering a platform that not only informs therapy selection but could also unlock new companion diagnostic opportunities."