• In the fight against cancer, Grail, a pioneering American biotechnology company, stands at the forefront with its cutting-edge technologies and unwavering commitment to saving lives. 
  • Armed with next-generation sequencing and advanced data science, Grail's revolutionary Galleri® test offers a game-changing multi-cancer early detection solution, with the potential to identify over 50 cancer types in their earliest stages. 
  • Join us as we explore how Grail's groundbreaking approach is rewriting the narrative of cancer detection, bringing hope and empowerment to individuals and families worldwide.

For far too long, cancer has been a silent intruder, striking without warning and changing lives forever. Late diagnoses and limited treatment options have left many feeling helpless and overwhelmed in the face of this enemy. Families feel the weight of uncertainty, while the patients are left struggling and powerless, grappling with an unknown future.

Thanks to Grail, an American biotechnology company, there is hope on the horizon. This pioneering firm is armed with cutting edge technologies and has a deep commitment to saving lives, a life saving mission to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. They are a healthcare company focused on saving lives and improving health by developing new technologies for early cancer detection. They have built a multi-disciplinary organization of scientists, engineers, and physicians and are using the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS), population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges. This trailblazing company is working to change the trajectory of cancer mortality and bring stakeholders together to adopt innovative, safe, and effective technologies that can transform cancer care.

Founders Jeff Huber and Mostafa Ronaghi, created Grail in 2016 as a start-up in San Francisco, California, seeking to develop an early cancer screening test for people who do not have symptoms. Its headquarters is in Menlo Park, California, with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the UK. The company is developing a test called "Galleri", a pan-cancer screening test by measuring circulating nucleic acids in the blood. Its proprietary platform uses the ultra-deep sequencing technique to measure levels of circulating tumor DNA in the patient's blood.

Going into more detail regarding the technology that the company uses, Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) technology is one of the most promising tools in the war on cancer. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing and machine learning have enabled the development of multi-cancer early detection testing.

In 2021, GRAIL introduced a first-of-its-kind commercially available MCED test, the Galleri® test, which detects a signal shared by many cancers not commonly screened for today, including cancers without recommended screening. This revolutionary liquid biopsy test holds the promise of identifying over 50 cancer types in their earliest stages, including more than 45 of which have no recommended screening through a simple blood draw. It's a game-changing advancement that has the potential to make a significant impact. 

Using the Galleri test as a complement to recommended screenings has the potential to increase the absolute number of cancers detected.

“Recent research (modeled data) shows that adding annual testing with multi-cancer early detection blood tests to the currently recommended screening tests may shift cancers that can be detected to earlier stages, which modeled data suggests could reduce the five-year cancer mortality rate by 39% for cancers that can be detected (or an approximate 26 percent reduction in overall cancer related deaths)”, says Grail.

A test is most valuable if it delivers low rates of false results and identifies the location of the tumor to enable targeted follow-up. Grail’s test predicted the cancer origin in 90.3% of true positives.

For now, Grail is selling its test through a waiver program since it is not yet FDA-approved. In June, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill allowing Medicare to cover the cost of a multi-cancer early detection test. Advocates for the bill say that making such cancer tests easy to access, especially in rural areas, would help close racial and income health disparities among older Americans. The company may know by December whether Medicare will cover Galleri. In the meantime, it’s running clinical studies, including one with 140,000 subjects, in partnership with the U.K.’s National Health Service. Grail has also publicized cases where it identified cancer cells later confirmed by MRI in U.S. patients. 

This company is bringing about a much needed solution, and so, has a lot of investors and funding to back it up. They have raised a total of $2B in funding over 5 rounds and is funded by 23 investors, with 6 lead investors. 

Grail's mission is clear: to empower individuals and families, rewriting the narratives of countless lives. As they continue their quest and widen access to their life-saving test, the future of cancer detection is looking better than ever. Together, let's stand united and support Grail in their battle against this enemy, ushering in a new era of early cancer detection and hope for a healthier world.