GRAIL (company)

GRAIL is a healthcare company that focuses on the early detection of cancer through innovative blood tests. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Menlo Park, California. GRAIL's mission is to detect cancer early when it can be cured by developing a blood test that can detect multiple types of cancer.

History

GRAIL was founded in 2016 by Illumina, a company specializing in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies. The company was established with the goal of revolutionizing cancer detection through the development of a blood test that can detect multiple types of cancer at early stages.

In 2020, GRAIL was acquired by Illumina for $8 billion, marking one of the largest deals in the history of the life sciences industry.

Technology

GRAIL's technology is based on the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood. The company's blood test, known as Galleri, uses next-generation sequencing technology to detect the small amounts of ctDNA that are shed by tumors into the bloodstream.

The Galleri test is designed to detect over 50 types of cancer, including many that are difficult to detect at early stages through traditional methods. The test has been shown to have a low false-positive rate, meaning it has a high degree of accuracy in correctly identifying cancers.

Clinical Trials

GRAIL has conducted several large-scale clinical trials to validate the effectiveness of its Galleri test. These include the Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (CCGA) study, which involved over 15,000 participants, and the STRIVE study, which involved over 100,000 participants.

Impact

GRAIL's technology has the potential to significantly impact cancer detection and treatment. By detecting cancer at its earliest stages, when it is most treatable, GRAIL's blood test could save many lives and reduce the burden of cancer on society.