On March 20, 2026 Abbott (NYSE: ABT) reported that it expects to close the acquisition of Exact Sciences on Monday, March 23, 2026. The announcement follows receipt of all regulatory clearances necessary for closing.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The transaction enables Abbott to enter and lead in fast-growing cancer screening and diagnostics segments, serving millions of additional people. Together with Exact Sciences, Abbott will accelerate innovation, expand access to life-changing diagnostics, and help more people detect and manage cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.

View File Download File
"Proactively shaping the portfolio to anticipate future medical needs while building long-term shareholder value remains at the core of our strategic framework," said Robert B. Ford, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "The addition of Exact Sciences enhances Abbott’s growth profile and strengthens our leadership in diagnostics. This transaction brings a powerful new platform in cancer screening and diagnostics into Abbott, advancing our mission to make care more accessible and give people more control over their health."

Strategic fit
Exact Sciences is a leader in cancer screening, precision oncology and genetic testing, helping to detect cancer earlier, guide treatment decisions and monitor for recurrence.

This acquisition strengthens Abbott’s leadership position and capabilities in diagnostics, positioning the company to advance technologies that are more preventative, predictive and personalized. It expands Abbott’s presence in one of the fastest-growing areas of healthcare as cancer incidence continues to rise worldwide. It also adds a new growth vertical to Abbott’s already high-single-digit growth expectations, establishing leadership in the fast-growing $60 billion U.S. cancer screening and precision oncology diagnostics segments.

Industry-leading offerings and pipeline
Exact Sciences’ product offerings include the Cologuard test, a market-leading noninvasive colorectal cancer screening option; Oncotype DX, which informs personalized treatment decisions for patients with early-stage breast cancer; Oncodetect, a tumor informed molecular residual disease (MRD) test to help identify cancer recurrence and guide follow-up care; and Cancerguard, a multi-cancer early detection blood test.

Exact Sciences is also advancing a leading pipeline of next-generation cancer diagnostics designed to detect cancer even earlier, optimize treatment decisions and enable regular monitoring to help people stay healthy and better manage disease.

Financial
As previously communicated, this transaction is expected to add approximately $3 billion of incremental sales in 2026, accelerate Abbott’s 2026 sales growth by approximately 0.5% and dilute 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) by approximately $0.20.

(Press release, Abbott, MAR 20, 2026, View Source,-2026 [SID1234663787])