PurIST is an RNA expression-based test for pancreatic cancer molecular subtyping that can help inform and personalize cancer treatment
Durham, N.C., May 31, 2023 – GeneCentric Therapeutics, a company making precision medicine more precise through RNA-based diagnostics, announced today that its PurISTSM test is now commercially available through Tempus for clinical use. PurIST is a novel RNA-expression test that identifies patients with the classical subtype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who are likely to experience longer overall survival (OS) with standard-of-care (SOC) FOLFIRINOX than patients with the basal subtype of PDAC.
Pancreatic cancer has one of the highest mortality rates among all major cancers, and there has been limited availability of validated diagnostics tests or biomarkers to guide first-line treatment selection.
“The PurIST test represents a breakthrough for pancreatic cancer molecular testing,” said Mike Milburn, President and CEO of GeneCentric Therapeutics. “By delineating patients into biological subtypes with clear prognostic implications, patients and healthcare providers have a new tool to better inform personalized treatment options for this devastating disease.”
As part of its ongoing collaboration with GeneCentric, Tempus validated PurIST as a laboratory developed test (LDT) as part of its Whole Transcriptome RNA sequencing platform offerings for clinical and investigational use. Clinical utility of the test was demonstrated by leveraging a Tempus real-world multimodal dataset of over 250 advanced PDAC patients who were previously treated with SOC FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) was performed on primary or metastatic tumor tissue, which identified each patient’s cancer as either basal or classical molecular subtype. For FOLFIRINOX-treated patients, those with a classical molecular subtype had extended survival compared to those with basal molecular subtype. Survival was similar for FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel treatment regimens in basal patients, but classical patients had extended survival when treated with FOLFIRINOX.
PurIST Test Information
The PurIST test is now available for ordering as part of the on-line Tempus HUB and will soon be available through an updated paper requisition form. Providers and patients can learn more about the PurIST test on the Tempus website.
About Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is the 10th most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. and the 12th most common cancer worldwide. The National Cancer Institute estimates there will be over 64,000 new cases and more than 50,000 deaths in the U.S. alone in 2023, making it the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. with one of the highest mortality rates of all major cancers. More than 90% of pancreatic cancers are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and the 5-year overall survival for resectable/borderline-resectable and non-resectable PDAC is approximately 20% and 1-3%, respectively. The three main treatments for PDAC are surgical resection (if diagnosed early), radiation therapy and chemotherapy. For resectable tumors, surgical resection is provided with curative intent, however, for non-resectable tumors, chemotherapy such as FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine with nab-paclitaxel is often used.
About GeneCentric
GeneCentric Therapeutics, Inc. is an RNA-based genomic solutions provider based in Durham, North Carolina. The company designed its technologies to parse the complexity of tumor and immune biology using its RNA-based Tumor and Immune Micro-Environment (rT(I)ME) Explorer platform to discover and develop signatures of responder populations to oncology therapeutics. GeneCentric commercializes its technology through strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics companies in applications throughout preclinical testing, clinical drug development and commercialization lifecycle phases. For more information, visit www.genecentric.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
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