The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking to block Illumina Inc.’s $7.1 billion purchase of Grail Inc., claiming the deal will “diminish innovation in the U.S. market” for multicancer early detection (MCED) tests, which could be used to flag dozens of tumor types when they are still treatable. Illumina has vowed to “pursue all legal options” to complete its acquisition of Grail, arguing that it does not compete with Grail and is committed to providing “unfettered access” to its NGS technology.
Grail Inc. is teaming up with Quest Diagnostics Inc. to support the upcoming launch of its multicancer blood test. The early cancer detection test, called Galleri, is slated to begin rolling out in the second quarter of 2021. Quest’s 2,200 patient service centers and network of 5,000 mobile phlebotomists will help to collect blood samples for Galleri once the test becomes available in the U.S.
Following days of speculation, Illumina Inc. said today it will acquire liquid biopsy startup Grail Inc. for $8 billion in cash and stock, bringing back into the fold a company it spun out in 2016. The deal gives Illumina a major stake in the race the race to develop a less-invasive way to diagnose cancer. Since spinning out, Grail has raised nearly $2 billion from big-name investors with promises of a blood test for early cancer detection and is hoping to introduce its liquid biopsy as a laboratory-developed test (LTD) as early as next year.
Liquid biopsy startup Grail Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., has reeled in $390 million in a series D financing that included new investors Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Prior investor Illumina Inc., of San Diego, also participated in the round, as well as two unidentified backers.
Systematic detection of cancer at earlier stages at a population level could remodel how the medical profession approaches cancer treatment, establishing the potential to reduce cancer mortality by almost one-quarter. That’s according to an analysis based on the latest data from Grail Inc.'s Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (CCGA) study.
