Developing a blood test for multi-cancer detection and recurrence monitoring
Cancer can leave abnormal DNA methylation patterns in cell-free DNA circulating in blood. These patterns are promising markers for detecting multiple cancers, but technical challenges still limit their broad clinical use.
Asima Health is developing a blood test that analyses changes in cell-free DNA without gene sequencing. Designed for local laboratories, its platform targets frequent cancer monitoring, initially focusing on colorectal and lung cancer recurrence.
What stands out about Asima Health
Asima and Arete Biosciences built working instruments; the partner describes an R&D device still being refined for clinical use.
Asima partnered with Ontario Tumor Biobank to obtain samples for its cancer-test development.
Asima announced a C$30,000 non-dilutive grant through selection into the AC Studio 2 cohort in July 2025.
Founder Shalini Gupta holds a PhD in chemical engineering, specializing in point-of-care diagnostics.
Asima joined CDL’s Cancer Stream in 2024 and AC:Studio Cohort 2 in 2025.
Retrospective Asima Rev testing in 46 colorectal-cancer cases and 33 controls found 95.65% sensitivity and 93.94% specificity.
Asima Health participated in Elevate and The Firehood’s Women+ Entrepreneur Incubator.
Shalini Gupta co-founded NanoDx Healthcare in India before founding Asima Health.
Asima Health won a C$5,000 prize as first runner-up in the 2025 TiEQuest pitch-deck competition.
Asima’s 2026 study reports partial salary support for engineer Tina Mahmoudi through Canada’s NRC IRAP programme.
Historical Asima co-founder Srinath Rangarajan also founded Yoga Vidya, a personalised yoga business.
Historical co-founder Srinath Rangarajan holds a chemical-engineering PhD and has pharmaceutical and diagnostics research experience.
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