AI-based liquid biopsy companies deliver tangible results

Achieves over 80 Accuracy

GC Genome’s ai-CANCERCH achieved an accuracy of 81.5%

IMBdx diagnoses 8 kinds of solid tumors through blood tests…EDGC accelerates entry into US market

Domestic companies have started to deliver tangible results with their liquid biopsy technology.

 

The early cancer diagnosis accuracy of GC Genome’s ai-CANCERCH and IMBdx’s CancerFind were found to be over 80%.

 

EDGC's (Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center) test showed an 80% sensitivity in diagnosing colorectal cancer.

 

Liquid biopsy detects diseases from blood, body fluids, or urine, enabling faster and more convenient testing than standard biopsy, which involves removing the tumor directly.

 

Liquid biopsy can be conducted even without the patient’s tissue.

 

Extracting tissue from cancer patients becomes increasingly difficult after the development of chemoresistance.

 

When a biopsy is first performed, tissue extraction is usually possible in more than 90% of cases, but that probability gradually decreases for patients who develop resistance to anticancer drugs.

 

For this reason, liquid biopsy has been considered as a replacement for regular biopsy, but is only applicable to certain cancers and is not 100% accurate, thereby requiring further testing.

 

However, it can be useful for early diagnosis and prediction of cancer, and major liquid biopsy diagnostic companies have been targeting the early cancer diagnosis market.

 

Korean company secures a platform that can diagnose early solid cancer through blood

According to data recently released by GC Genome on the 28th, ai-CANCERCH’s accuracy in diagnosing Stage I cancer reached 81.1%.

 

ai-CANCERCH is an AI-based liquid biopsy diagnostic platform developed by GC Genome.

 

The program was released in Korea in September last year.

 

ai-CANCERCH’s uses AI algorithms to extract circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from cell-free DNA (cfDNA) floating in blood vessels and use next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify the presence of tumors at an early stage.

 

Cancer cell-derived cfDNA is DNA released from the cell into the blood and owns the characteristic of autologous cells.

 

Ai-CANCERCH’s testing accuracy was verified through analysis of a total of 5,000 samples, involving more than 1,300 cancer patients and more than 3,700 general people.

 

Ai-CANCERCH can diagnose the presence six cancers - lung, liver, colorectal, pancreatic, esophageal, and ovarian cancers.

 

Earlier this month, GC Genome signed contracts for diagnostic genome analysis services with 6 companies – 1 in Jordan, 3 in Saudi Arabia, 1 in Oman, and 1 in Pakistan.

 

In addition to GC Genome, IMBdx and EDGC are also developing AI-based liquid biopsy tests.

 

IMBdx develops precision cancer diagnostics technology and was founded by Dr.

 

Tae-You Kim, Professor of Medical Oncology at Seoul National University Hospital.

 

The company is set to go public on KOSDAQ next month.

 

IMBdx’s early cancer diagnosis platform is called CancerFind.

 

It can diagnose 8 types of cancers including colorectal, liver, lung, prostate, ovarian, stomach, and pancreatic cancers, through a single blood draw.

 

CancerFind analyzes the genetic and epigenetic signatures of ctDNA to detect cancer and provide information about the cancer site.

 

It is a quick and easy cancer screening tool that can be used not only by those in need of biopsy, but also by general patients who have difficulty receiving imaging and endoscopy tests.

 

To date, the company's cancer diagnostic test showed a 86% sensitivity and can localize cancer with 83% accuracy.

 

EDGC has been demonstrating its liquid biopsy technology in early cancer screening for colorectal and lung cancer.

 

EDGC uses its liquid biopsy-based platform OncoCatch to extract ctDNA from cell-free cfDNA floating in the blood.

 

It then applies an AI algorithm to measure epigenetic changes associated with cancer development, enabling cancer diagnosis at the earliest stage.

 

EDGC evaluated its cancer prediction model by type on 191 cancer patients and 126 members of the general public and found that the sensitivity was 78.1% for colorectal cancer and 66.3% for lung cancer.

 

EDGC plans to first target the North American market with its testing tool.

 

In August last year, the company joined the U.S.

 

Cancer Moonshot project aimed at conquering cancer.

 

Cancer Moonshot is a cancer conquest project promoted by the Biden administration that aims to reduce the mortality rate of cancer patients by over 50% within the next 25 years by accelerating the development of cancer R&D.

 

EDGC also started exporting its liquid biopsy technology after acquiring the US company GDxLab last year.