Hepion Pharmaceuticals licensed rights from Cirna Diagnostics to develop a circulating tumor RNA (ctRNA) assay aimed at detecting early, high‑risk hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The deal includes $50,000 upfront, up to $6.85 million in milestone payments and low single‑digit royalties. Hepion said the ctRNA test complements its existing methylated SEPTIN9 (mSEPT9) PCR‑based HCC assay, which it expects to commercialize in the near term. The move completes a broader strategic shift for Hepion from therapeutics toward diagnostics and liquid biopsy, following financial pressures that forced a halt to prior therapeutic programs and led to leadership changes and a Nasdaq delisting. The company positions ctRNA testing as a route to earlier, more specific HCC surveillance compared with DNA‑based methods.