IMBdx Unveils Latest AI-Based Early Diagnosis Research at 'ASCO GI 2026'

CancerDetect Demonstrates Outstanding Recurrence Prediction in Gastric and Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials
CancerFind Revolutionizes Early Diagnosis Accuracy with cfDNA Image-Based Deep Learning Technology

IMBdx, a precision medicine company specializing in liquid biopsy, announced on January 6 that it will participate in the "2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium," which will be held from January 8 to 10 (local time) at Moscone West in San Francisco, USA.

The company will present three of its latest research achievements in the fields of recurrence prediction for gastric and pancreatic cancers, as well as AI-based early diagnosis. At the symposium, IMBdx will release clinical results for gastric and pancreatic cancers using its personalized MRD (Minimal Residual Disease) analysis technology, CancerDetect™, which precisely predicts post-surgical recurrence. The company will also introduce the next-generation analysis technology of CancerFind™, which has dramatically improved early diagnosis accuracy by incorporating deep learning techniques.

In the gastric cancer field, results from a subgroup analysis of a multicenter, randomized phase 3 clinical trial (EXODOX study) led by the Gastric Cancer Division of the Korean Cancer Study Group will be presented. The study tracked circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using CancerDetect™ for up to 24 months after surgery in patients with advanced gastric cancer (stages II-III). The results showed that the MRD-positive group had a significantly higher risk of recurrence compared to the MRD-negative group.

These findings support the clinical value of MRD analysis in real-time monitoring of the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery and in establishing personalized treatment strategies for each patient.

CancerDetect™ also demonstrated its prognostic prediction capability in pancreatic cancer. In a prospective study of post-surgical FOLFIRINOX adjuvant chemotherapy currently being conducted by the Pancreatic Cancer Division of the Korean Cancer Study Group and HK inno.N, MRD positivity measured at four weeks after surgery showed superior prognostic predictive power compared to traditional clinical indicators such as the TNM staging system.

The study precisely captured prognostic changes according to MRD-negative conversion during the treatment process, reaffirming the clinical utility of liquid biopsy-based MRD analysis even in the challenging field of pancreatic cancer, where prognosis prediction is particularly difficult. The study also proved the effectiveness of tumor-informed MRD analysis in many pancreatic cancer patients with low tumor fractions, suggesting the possibility of broadly applying MRD results in post-surgical treatment decisions for pancreatic cancer in the future.

In the field of early diagnosis, the next-generation deep learning analysis technology of CancerFind™ will be introduced. This technology applies an innovative deep learning framework that converts various characteristics of ctDNA in the blood into image data for learning. Analysis of clinical data from 917 patients showed that scanning the SEPTIN9 gene alone achieved a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 86%, with an odds ratio of 44.90, demonstrating overwhelming performance superiority compared to conventional single-analysis methods.

Unlike conventional approaches that relied on signals from specific gene loci, this technology significantly enhances technical competitiveness as a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) platform by integrating and analyzing subtle signals across the entire genome.

IMBdx recently began clinical application in Korea by registering its innovative medical technology for colorectal cancer. With the presentation at the ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, the company plans to expand indications to major gastrointestinal cancers such as gastric and pancreatic cancers, further strengthening its leadership in the global precision medicine market.

Cha Yongjun, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of IMBdx, stated, "Gastric and pancreatic cancers, which we presented at the ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, are cancer types for which MRD research has been limited. It is a meaningful achievement to confirm the clinical utility of CancerDetect™ through prospective studies led by the Korean Cancer Study Group."

He added, "The results of the CancerFind™ study for colorectal cancer also demonstrate not only improved multi-cancer early detection performance but also the technological potential for expansion to single-cancer screening. By combining innovative liquid biopsy technology with AI algorithms, we aim to become a global leader managing the entire cancer care continuum."