Multi-cancer risk

Cancer screening is organised one cancer at a time, and eligibility rests largely on age and inherited risk. Inherited risk is assessed once and does not change. But a person's biological state does change — and nothing in routine care observes it.

Elypta is investigating whether the GAGome can describe that changing state: a dynamic, non-inherited risk signal read alongside inherited-risk assessment and guideline-recommended screening.

Why the GAGome?

The GAGome reflects extracellular-matrix remodelling, inflammation and tissue turnover — biology that is shared across cancer types rather than specific to one. It is measurable in urine and plasma, repeatable over time, and reflects acquired biology that conventional risk factors capture only indirectly.

In a study presented at ASCO in 2025, urinary GAGome profiles were associated with cancer risk up to five years before diagnosis in asymptomatic adults. This is proof of concept. It establishes that the signal is present. We aim to answer the questions how well it performs, in whom, or how it should be used in ongoing studies.

Studies underway

Three populations, chosen because the sources of risk differ:

• Inherited risk (PREDI-LYNCH). Elypta is a main partner in this €13.6m European initiative developing non-invasive, cost-effective liquid biopsy tests for cancer prediction in Lynch syndrome carriers.
• Occupational exposure (LEVANTIS-0065). A prospective observational cohort study exploring GAGome performance in adults actively employed as firefighters.
• Background risk (LEVANTIS-0087A). A retrospective population cohort-based nested case-control study in adults asymptomatic for cancer with no recent cancer history.
• Smoking-related risk (LEVANTIS-0093A). A study in adults aged 55–80 with significant smoking history, examining GAGome-based risk stratification in a population eligible for lung cancer screening.