# GeneCentric Therapeutics

> GeneCentric Therapeutics is a Durham, North Carolina precision-oncology company that reads cancer's gene activity, not just its mutations, from a tube of blood. Its proprietary EXpressCT technology infers RNA-based gene expression signatures from cell-free DNA fragmentomics, and its GenomicsNext platform combines that expression read-out with DNA variant detection in a single liquid biopsy. The company also markets PurIST, an RNA expression subtyping test for pancreatic cancer. Founded in 2011 out of gene-expression research at UNC, GeneCentric partners with biopharma and commercial labs to bring richer, blood-based biomarkers into routine cancer care.

- **Founded:** 2011
- **Headquarters:** Durham, North Carolina, United States
- **Founders:** Myla Lai-Goldman (Co-Founder & Chair (former CEO 2011-2018)), Charles M. Perou (Co-Founder & Director), David Neil Hayes (Founder & Observer)
- **Team size:** ~14 employees
- **Products:** EXpressCT, GenomicsNext, PurIST, Biopharma biomarker services
- **Notable:** Developed EXpressCT, a method to infer RNA gene-expression signatures from cfDNA fragmentomics (launched October 2024)., Launched GenomicsNext, an integrated platform measuring gene expression and DNA variants from one blood sample., Brought PurIST pancreatic cancer subtyping to clinical availability with an AMA PLA code; supported by JCO Precision Oncology data.

## Products & services

- **EXpressCT** — Proprietary technology that infers RNA-based gene expression signatures from cell-free DNA (cfDNA) using fragmentomics and RNA-seq, adapting tissue-based RNA expression tests to a liquid biopsy from blood or urine. Platform-agnostic and partner-friendly.
- **GenomicsNext** — Integrated liquid biopsy platform that simultaneously delivers thousands of gene-expression measurements and high-fidelity DNA variant detection from a single blood sample.
- **PurIST** — RNA expression-based Purity Independent Subtyping of Tumors test for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, used to help guide first-line treatment. Licensed from UNC (Jen Jen Yeh lab); commercially offered via partners and granted an AMA PLA code.
- **Biopharma biomarker services** — Gene-expression signature discovery, assay development and companion diagnostic collaborations for pharmaceutical and lab partners across lung, breast, pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

## Achievements

- Developed EXpressCT, a method to infer RNA gene-expression signatures from cfDNA fragmentomics (launched October 2024).
- Launched GenomicsNext, an integrated platform measuring gene expression and DNA variants from one blood sample.
- Brought PurIST pancreatic cancer subtyping to clinical availability with an AMA PLA code; supported by JCO Precision Oncology data.
- Raised an initial $8.0M Series C in June 2025 with a runway through 2026.
- Built liquid-biopsy expression signatures across lung, breast, pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Announced initial closing of an $8.0M Series C led by Hatteras Venture Partners to commercialize the GenomicsNext liquid biopsy platform; runway through 2026.
- **2024-11** — CEO Michael Milburn presented 'Extracting More from ctDNA' at the Stand Up To Cancer Innovation Summit in New York.
- **2024-10** — Launched the EXpressCT liquid biopsy technology for translating RNA expression signatures into cfDNA-based tests.
- **2023-05** — Announced commercial availability of the PurIST test for pancreatic cancer.

## Links

- Website: https://genecentric.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/genecentric
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/GeneCentric

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/genecentric
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-15