Glycotest

What Glycotest does

Glycotest is a US-based clinical diagnostics company, founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York with offices in Merion, Pennsylvania, that develops non-invasive blood tests for the early detection of liver cancers and fibrosis-cirrhosis. Its proprietary platform targets disease-specific changes in protein glycosylation, particularly the abnormal fucosylation of glycoproteins in serum, and is built on biomarker IP held under exclusive worldwide license from Drexel University and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute.

The lead product, the HCC Panel, measures three novel fucosylated biomarkers in combination with three standard biomarkers and patient demographics, converting the inputs into a composite diagnostic score via a proprietary algorithm. Clinical validation across 20 major US medical centers and more than 480 patients has produced reported performance of AUROC 0.97, 93% sensitivity at 92% specificity, and detection of 86% of AFP-negative HCC cases. The pipeline extends the platform to a Liver Fibrosis-Cirrhosis Test and a Cholangiocarcinoma Test, and a September 2024 partnership with the University of Georgia Complex Carbohydrate Research Center is intended to add novel glycomic assay capability.

The company describes two intended revenue streams. In the US, Glycotest plans to commercialize testing through its CLIA-certified laboratory under a laboratory-developed test model, serving hepatologists, gastroenterologists, and oncologists managing at-risk patients, including those with chronic hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Outside the US, it has granted an exclusive license covering mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau to Fosun Pharma, which also led the Series A in October 2018 with a $10 million investment for approximately 40% equity. Glycotest has raised roughly $17 million in total funding across the Series A, a January 2024 EMV Capital tranche of approximately $1 million, and a 2025–2026 round of approximately $3.22 million, and is positioning itself for US commercial launch under a new CEO appointed in 2025.

Name

Glycotest

Legal name

Glycotest, Inc.

Website

https://glycotest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Glycotest is a US-based diagnostics company developing non-invasive blood tests for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver fibrosis-cirrhosis. Its proprietary fucosylated glycoprotein biomarker platform, licensed from Drexel University and Blumberg Institute, underpins the HCC Panel and an adjacent pipeline serving at-risk liver disease patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Clinical Laboratory Testing Services: Glycotest commercializes novel clinical laboratory testing services for liver disease diagnostics. The company operates CLIA laboratory-based testing to provide physicians and patients with blood tests for detecting liver cancers and fibrosis-cirrhosis.
2. China Licensing and Royalties: Glycotest receives royalties on sales from Fosun Pharma for the manufacture and sale of the HCC Panel blood test in China under an exclusive license agreement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Glycotest develops and provides non-invasive blood-based diagnostic tests for the early detection of liver cancers (hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma) and fibrosis-cirrhosis. Its lead offering, the HCC Panel, uses proprietary fucosylated glycoprotein biomarkers with a composite scoring algorithm to identify patients with potentially curable early-stage liver cancer, including AFP-negative cases that existing tests miss. The company operates CLIA laboratory-based clinical testing services in the US and licenses China distribution to Fosun Pharma.

Product overview

Glycotest is a diagnostics company offering proprietary non-invasive blood tests for liver disease detection. The core product is the HCC Panel, an algorithm-driven biomarker test for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that uses fucosylated glycoprotein biomarkers. The company also has pipeline tests in development for liver fibrosis-cirrhosis and cholangiocarcinoma. The technology platform is based on measuring abnormal fucosylation patterns on serum glycoproteins and converting biomarker data into composite disease likelihood scores via proprietary algorithms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HCC Panel

Quantifiable outcome

• HCC Panel achieved AUROC of 0.97 (93% sensitivity at 92% specificity) in blinded evaluation of 149 samples
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• University of Georgia Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (CCRC)majorTechnology or Integration · 23 September 2024Glycotest entered agreement with University of Georgia CCRC to develop novel glycomic assays for its HCC Panel blood test. Glycotest funds development at CCRC and secures exclusive rights to resulting intellectual property. The assays will be deployed in Glycotest's HCC Panel test. Dr. Parastoo Azadi, Associate Director of CCRC Service and Training, leads the work.
• Drexel University College of MedicinecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2012Glycotest was founded on proprietary technology licensed exclusively worldwide from Drexel University College of Medicine. The technology includes over 50 unique glycoprotein biomarkers and assay technology for diagnosis of liver cancers and other liver diseases.
• Baruch S. Blumberg Institute (Hepatitis B Foundation)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2012Glycotest was founded on proprietary technology licensed exclusively worldwide from the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute of the Hepatitis B Foundation, both in the Philadelphia area. The technology includes over 50 unique glycoprotein biomarkers and assay technology for diagnosis of liver cancers and other liver diseases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Exact Sciences: Established blood-based diagnostics company (Cologuard) with deep commercial infrastructure, payer relationships, and a multi-cancer pipeline. Comparable as a proven liquid-biopsy / blood-test commercial model that Glycotest aims to replicate in liver disease.
• GRAIL: Multi-cancer early detection (Galleri) using blood-based methylation biomarkers at scale. Comparable as a well-capitalized blood-based cancer screening competitor pursuing multi-indication expansion that could eventually overlap with HCC.
• Natera: Cell-free DNA / liquid biopsy company with oncology and transplant monitoring tests through its CLIA lab. Comparable as a CLIA-based blood diagnostics platform with multiple cancer indications and similar go-to-market with physicians.
• Roche Diagnostics: Largest global diagnostics incumbent offering Elecsys AFP and full HCC workup solutions. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in liver cancer serology that Glycotest must displace for guideline inclusion.
• Abbott Diagnostics: Broad in vitro diagnostics leader with established ARCHITECT AFP and oncology menu. Comparable as a global incumbent that sets the competitive reference standard for hospital adoption, reimbursement, and assay integration.

Direct peers

• Helio Genomics: Develops blood-based diagnostic tests for liver cancer (HelioLiver), targeting similar HCC surveillance use cases with blood-based methylation and protein biomarkers. Direct head-to-head competitor in liver cancer early detection.
• Guardant Health: Liquid biopsy leader in oncology with blood-based cancer detection and monitoring tests, including in HCC. Comparable in business model (CLIA lab, blood-based cancer diagnostics) and target customer (oncologists and hepatologists).
• Freenome: Blood-based multi-cancer early detection company using cfDNA and protein biomarkers. Comparable as a blood-test cancer screening developer pursuing similar unmet clinical needs and physician-channel commercialization.
• Oncimmune: Autoantibody and cancer biomarker company; Glycotest entered a research collaboration with Oncimmune in 2014. Direct peer in immuno-oncology biomarker discovery and commercialization for cancer detection.

Others

• Bio-Techne: Proteomics tools and reagents supplier (R&D Systems, ProteinSimple) serving diagnostics developers. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant supplying glycomic and protein assay components to liver-disease diagnostics developers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glycotest-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Glycotest