The presentation, Gut microbiome predicts risk of aggressive disease course in ulcerative colitis: Development and validation of a risk classifier, will be delivered by Professor Lena Öhman of the University of Gothenburg and will present findings from GA's collaborative development project with Akershus University Hospital and the University of Gothenburg.

UC is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory disease of the colon that affects up to 1% of the population in Western countries. Its course varies substantially: some patients have a mild disease course, while others develop an aggressive disease course requiring early treatment escalation. Reliably identifying patients at risk of an aggressive course at the time of diagnosis remains a significant unmet clinical need.

The results to be presented at UEG Week demonstrate how the new risk prediction test, GA-map® IBD Precision Dx, was developed, validated, and evaluated. At diagnosis, the test identifies a microbiome profile associated with an aggressive UC disease course, supporting early risk stratification and guiding patient management and follow-up over the following 12 months. By identifying patients at increased risk, the test can help clinicians make earlier and more personalized treatment decisions. The development project was partly funded by the Research Council of Norway.

UEG Week, organized by United European Gastroenterology, is one of the world's leading congresses in digestive health. The 2026 congress brings together more than 12,000 clinicians, researchers and industry representatives from 118 countries. For GA, the congress is an opportunity to showcase its research to the international gastroenterology community and to strengthen relationships with current and prospective research and industry partners.

Professor Lena Öhman, University of Gothenburg, comments:
"The disease course of ulcerative colitis varies considerably between patients, and at diagnosis we still have limited ability to identify those who will develop an aggressive disease course. Our findings show that the gut microbiome carries prognostic information that enables patient stratification ensuring right treatment for the right patient."

Ronny Hermansen, CEO of Genetic Analysis, comments:
"We are proud that our work has been selected for an oral presentation at UEG Week for the first time. This is an important recognition of the quality and relevance of the work carried out by GA and our clinical research partners. The results strengthen our confidence in the potential of microbiome-based diagnostics to support earlier patient stratification in ulcerative colitis. We look forward to presenting and discussing our findings with the international gastroenterology community in Barcelona."

Presentation details
Title: Gut microbiome predicts risk of aggressive disease course in ulcerative colitis: Development and validation of a risk classifier
Presenter: Professor Lena Öhman, University of Gothenburg
Conference: UEG Week 2026
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Date and time: Tuesday, 20 October 2026, 10:00-11:00 CEST