Dive Brief:
- Abbott plans to close its $21 billion acquisition of cancer test maker Exact Sciences on Monday.
- The companies announced on Friday that they have received all regulatory clearances necessary for closing.
- Abbott CEO Robert Ford said in a statement that he expects the purchase to strengthen Abbott’s position with a new platform in cancer screening and diagnostics.
Dive Insight:
Abbott announced plans to buy Exact in November, in the largest medtech deal announced last year. Exact makes the Cologuard test, a noninvasive option to screen for colorectal cancer. The company also makes a molecular residual disease test and a multi-cancer early detection blood test.
With the purchase of Exact, Abbott expects to be able to reach millions more people by helping detect and manage cancer at the earliest stages. Abbott estimates the cancer screening and diagnostics markets are currently worth $60 billion.
Abbott plans to integrate Exact as a subsidiary. After the deal was announced, Stifel analyst Rick Wise said Abbott could help with Exact’s international growth and innovation initiatives.
Abbott expects the purchase to add about $3 billion in incremental sales in 2026. The company reported $44.33 billion in revenue in 2025. Exact reported revenue of $3.25 billion last year.
