Exact Sciences Reaches $1.7 Billion Deal to Buy Liquid Biopsy Test Developer

Exact Sciences announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Thrive Earlier Detection, a blood-based cancer test developer, for $1.7 billion. Thrive Earlier Detection could receive as much as $2.15 billion if a blood-based, multicancer screening test hits certain milestones.

Exact Sciences intends to combine Thrive’s early-stage cancer screening test, CancerSEEK, with its own scientific platform and clinical organization, to become more competitive in the lucrative blood-based, multicancer screening market.

CancerSEEK showed promise in a 10,000-patient prospective interventional study, Exact Sciences said. An early version of the test detected 10 different types of cancer, including seven with no recommended screening guidelines.