Health officials introduce blood test as a more pleasant option to encourage greater participation in screening and boost early detection of colorectal cancer

Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC) to introduce a non-invasive blood-based screening program for colorectal cancer using Guardant’s Shield™ test. The agreement was set up through Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, a multinational pharmaceutical group and regional partner for Guardant in the Middle East and North Africa, and will be administered by the M42 healthcare system.1

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in Abu Dhabi, with 63% of cases diagnosed at a late stage, which adversely affects health outcomes and lowers survival rates.2 The introduction of the Shield blood test is intended to be a significant step forward in improving screening participation, early detection and outcomes for the community.

The Shield test will be provided as part of the ADPHC’s IFHAS comprehensive health screening program and will be available at major healthcare facilities operated by Ambulatory Healthcare Services and M42 sites across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the Al Dhafra region. This broad accessibility and the more pleasant screening experience are expected to address low adherence rates, a key challenge in the early detection of colorectal cancer.

“Early detection of colorectal cancer can dramatically improve survival rates,” said AmirAli Talasaz, Guardant Health co-CEO. “This new population screening program by the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi prioritizes community health by providing a more pleasant screening option that can help increase early detection and improve outcomes for the people of the UAE.”

The blood-based colorectal cancer screening program is expected to screen approximately 10,000 people across Abu Dhabi and surrounding regions in its first year.

About Guardant Health

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health’s liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health’s financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and any current and periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission thereafter. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

References

  1. Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre press release: https://www.wam.ae/en/article/b6dgstz-abu-dhabi-introduces-non-invasive-liquid-biopsy
  2. BMC Public Health. 2023 Oct 16;23:2015. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16951-7

 

Investor Contact: Zarak Khurshid investors@guardanthealth.com

Media Contact: Michael Weist press@guardanthealth.com +1 317-371-0035

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