The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and health-care incubator MATTER have teamed up to launch the first-ever digestive disease startup accelerator, kicking off this summer. Ten early-stage companies working on novel diagnostics, therapies, and patient-experience solutions for conditions ranging from IBS and Crohn’s disease to liver disorders and colorectal cancer will be selected for a six-month program. Participants will receive tailored mentorship from an AGA executive-in-residence, monthly workshops, access to MATTER’s mentor network, and strategic resources to help them scale. This initiative builds on AGA’s existing GI Opportunity Fund and aims to bridge the gap between emerging technology and clinical practice;…
Author: Rutali Thakur
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals today announced that its partner Endovision Limited has received EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) certification for Cerebro, the first real-time, AI-powered Computer-Assisted Quality (CAQ) tool for complete upper GI (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) procedures.
GI & Hepatology News and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) present Gastroenterology Data Trends 2025, a special report on hot topics in GI told through original infographics and visual storytelling.
Virgo Surgical Video Solutions today unveiled EndoML, a no-code AI development platform tailored for gastroenterology and pharmaceutical research, at Digestive Disease Week 2025. Built atop their EndoDINO foundation model—trained on over 130,000 full-length GI endoscopy videos—EndoML enables clinicians and researchers to transform raw endoscopy footage into custom AI models for tasks like polyp segmentation, anatomical landmark recognition, and IBD severity scoring, all without machine-learning expertise.
SwipeBiome, a self-funded startup founded in 2023, is building a real-time, non-invasive platform to democratize personalized gut health. Currently in R&D, the company will soon launch a consumer app that delivers dynamic daily recommendations across prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, fermented foods, and supplements—without the need for stool samples. By blending a vast microbiome and biotic database with predictive analytics and real-time symptom tracking, SwipeBiome aims to make personalized gut care “as simple as booking a flight.” Its B2B arm will support supplement, pharma, functional food, and pet care companies with evidence-based product innovation, all delivered via subscription or licensing models.
Flagship Pioneering has launched a new biotech startup, Etiome, with $50 million in funding and a bold vision to preempt disease before serious symptoms arise. Combining multiomics, AI, and EHR data, Etiome builds “molecular movies” that map how diseases evolve—starting with fatty liver disease (MASH)—to identify when and how to intervene with targeted therapies. By catching disease progression at earlier stages, Etiome aims to usher in a new era of preemptive medicine for conditions like neurodegeneration, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
A Bakersfield, Calif.-based gastroenterologist has been placed on five years of probation for mistakenly administering treatment intended for another patient to a 67-year-old COVID-19 patient, resulting in the patient’s death, Fox 8 News reported April 17. What happened?
A randomized trial published in Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology found that appendectomy, when added to standard medical therapy, significantly reduced relapse rates in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in remission compared to medical therapy alone. At 1 year, only 36% of patients in the appendectomy group relapsed, versus 56% in the control group. The surgery group also showed less need for biologics, better quality of life, and lower disease activity scores.
Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a groundbreaking RNA-based blood test that can detect cancer, track resistance to treatment, and assess tissue injury by analyzing messenger RNA (mRNA) in blood. Unlike traditional DNA tests, this “liquid biopsy” focuses on rare mRNA signatures from around 5,000 genes not typically found in healthy blood, boosting its ability to identify disease. In a recent study published in Nature, the test detected lung cancer in 73% of cases, including early-stage disease. It also identified non-genetic forms of treatment resistance and injury markers in conditions like COVID-19 and ARDS. The technique works on both fresh and…
On April 22, 2025, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) announced $2.4 million in research funding for 74 recipients through its Research Foundation Awards Program. In response to growing concerns over federal funding cuts, AGA also committed an additional $400,000 for 10 new pilot grants in 2026 to ensure continued scientific discovery in digestive health. Michael Camilleri, MD, DSc, AGAF, emphasized AGA’s longstanding commitment to advancing GI research and supporting talented investigators. Applications for the 2026 cycle will open in May.