Arbele Ltd. founder and CEO John Luk identified and patented cadherin-17 as a therapeutic cancer target, and the company was founded to develop immunotherapies for gastrointestinal cancers, which are prevalent in Asia Pacific.

Magentiq-Eye Ltd. received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for its Magentiq-Colo, an artificial intelligence (AI) gastrointestinal software system that helps detect lesions in real time during colonoscopy procedures. With the rate of colorectal cancer expected to increase steadily through the decade, the company hopes that Magentiq-Colo will offer the gastroenterology community and its patients a significant increase in the adenoma detection rate.

Wuhan Endoangel Medical Technology Co. Ltd.’s artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted real-time quality control and auxiliary diagnosis system for lower gastrointestinal endoscopy has been approved by China’s NMPA.

Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG is launching three Endoclot products, two hemostatic agents and a submucosal injection agent, in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. This new portfolio was developed by Santa Clara, Calif.-based Endoclot Plus Inc., which expanded its distribution with Olympus from the U.S. to EMEA in December 2022. “The addition of their solutions to our portfolio allows Olympus to contribute to safe treatment in gastrointestinal procedures. We aim to improve patient outcomes and hereby elevate the standard of care,” said Stefanie Kaufung, EMEA business unit manager gastrointestinal endotherapy at Olympus.

Captor Therapeutics SA has offered an update on its lead programs CT-01, CT-02 and CT-05. In the CT-01 program, CPT-6281 is currently undergoing IND/CTA-enabling studies with the first clinical trial expected to start at the end of the year. The first indication will be in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Previous studies have identified a promising target and potential biomarker for diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal and esophageal cancers: claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2), a tight junction protein overexpressed in these and other solid tumors.

Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. has filed a provisional patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) pertaining to an anti-PD-L1 x anti-CD40 bispecific antibody, APVO-711, with the potential to treat a range of solid malignancies such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma and carcinomas of the lung, gastrointestinal tract and colon.

Turning Point Therapeutics Inc. has picked up near-global rights to develop and commercialize an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Claudin18.2 from Lanova Medicines Ltd. for $25 million up front. The deal excludes greater China and South Korea.