Exact Sciences, Freenome sign $75M CRC deal | AGA & MATTER launch GI startup incubator | Top five microbiome startups reshaping therapeutics
Praveen Suthrum
Cofounder, NextServices | Author, The Shift, Scope Forward | GI Mastermind | subtl
Exact Sciences Announces Exclusive License with Freenome for Blood-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests (Exact Sciences)
Exact Sciences has signed an exclusive $75M licensing deal with Freenome for current and future blood-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tests, adding a complementary option to its Cologuard portfolio.
Convergence in GI: Dr. Erica Barnell on AI, Biology & the Future of Diagnostics (The Scope Forward Show/NextServices)
Dr. Erica Barnell, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Geneoscopy, joins The Scope Forward Show to discuss ColoSense—the first FDA-approved, RNA-based, non-invasive test for colorectal cancer—and the role of AI and digital biology in transforming early detection.
20+ Colorectal Cancer Alliance Screen Smart Partners Encourage Secretary Kennedy to Uphold USPSTF Goal to Improve Health (Colorectal Cancer Alliance)
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance and 20+ healthcare groups are urging Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to protect the USPSTF’s authority, warning that proposed changes could limit access to free, life-saving colorectal cancer screenings.
The AGA and healthcare innovation hub MATTER have opened applications for the first-ever AGA Incubator, a six-month virtual program designed to accelerate startups in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology.
CMS has proposed 2026 payment cuts for procedures in ASCs and HOPDs, potentially costing GIs performing endoscopy $58 million.
The rise of MAC in GI procedures: A win for patients, a challenge for anesthesia, and a call for collaboration (Becker’s Healthcare)
Dr. Manoj Mehta traces the dramatic rise of monitored anesthesia care (MAC) in gastroenterology—from its rare use in the 1990s to its current prevalence in up to 60% of colonoscopies.
Revolutionizing GI Care Through Equity, Innovation, and Prevention (Future of Personal Health)
GI leaders Harish K. Gagneja, Judy Currier, Amy S. Oxentenko, Sita S. Chokhavatia, and Vladimir M. Kushnir spotlight urgent priorities for the field—from tackling severe workforce shortages and closing access gaps, to addressing rising GI cancer rates in young adults.
The Future of AI in GI (EBMed)
In this exclusive EBMed feature, Dr. Brennan Spiegel—an influential voice in digital health and gastroenterology—explores how AI is transforming diagnostics, patient monitoring, and digital therapeutics.
The Top Five Emerging Microbiome Startups Following Their Gut (Inside Precision Medicine)
Jonathan Smith, PhD spotlights five private companies pushing the boundaries of microbiome-based therapeutics — from tackling C. difficile to boosting cancer treatments.
These Physician Specialties Have the Highest Starting Salaries (MedPage Today)
AMN Healthcare’s 2025 recruiting incentives report shows specialist starting salaries continuing to rise, fueled by an aging population and physician shortages. Gastroenterology ranked second at $552K, followed closely by urology and radiology.
FDA Greenlights Novel Colorectal Cancer Triplet Therapy Trial (Targeted Oncology)
Anbogen Therapeutics has received FDA clearance to launch a phase 1/2 trial of ABT-301, a selective HDAC1/2/3 inhibitor, in combination with tislelizumab and bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
Gastro Health Names Philip Meador as Chief Operating Officer (Gastro Health)
Philip Meador, formerly SVP of Operations at Surgery Partners, brings a track record of operational excellence from roles at Premier Inc., Emory Healthcare, and others.
A new Biomedicines study finds that practicing gastroenterologists perform only slightly better than chance when distinguishing real from AI-generated colonoscopy images.
Medicare, Medicaid plan to experiment with covering weight loss drugs (The Washington Post)
In a dramatic policy shift, the Trump administration is planning a five-year experiment to allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro—not just for diabetes, but for obesity treatment.
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Gastroenterologist | Clinical Trial PI | Consultant | Expert Witness
1moThe FDA approval of that triplet therapy trial for metastatic CRC is particularly exciting from a trials perspective. We're also seeing tremendous interest in the AGA/MATTER GI Care Incubator—innovation in our field has never moved this fast. As someone running trials, I'm curious how these new microbiome startups will navigate the regulatory pathway given the complexity of personalized approaches.