Abbott Completes Exact Sciences Acquisition, Expanding Cancer Screening Capabilities

Exact Sciences' shares stopped trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market on March 20, and three days later the company ceased to exist as a public entity: Abbott completed the acquisition of Exact Sciences on March 23, 2026, establishing Abbott as a leader in fast-growing cancer screening and diagnostics segments and enabling the company to serve millions of additional people.

Abbott agreed to acquire Exact Sciences on November 20, 2025, for $105 per share, implying about $21 billion in equity value. Shareholders approved the deal on February 20, with 67.56% voting in favor, and all regulatory clearances were secured by March 20. The transaction was the largest medtech deal announced in 2025.

"Abbott's global scale, track record of operational and commercial excellence and work with healthcare systems around the world will expand access to important tools for early cancer detection and personalized treatments," said Robert B. Ford, chairman and chief executive officer of Abbott. "With the legacy and deep expertise of the Exact Sciences team, we're ready to transform cancer care."

The deal hands Abbott one of the most recognized product lineups in cancer diagnostics. Exact Sciences' offerings include Cologuard, 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 test to help identify cancer recurrence and guide follow-up care; and Cancerguard, a multi-cancer early detection blood test.

The financial logic is straightforward. The 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 by approximately $0.20. Exact Sciences reported revenue of $3.25 billion in its most recent fiscal year, while Abbott posted $44.33 billion in 2025 revenue. The deal 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.

Stifel analyst Rick Wise noted after the original announcement that Abbott's global commercial infrastructure could accelerate Exact Sciences' international growth and innovation initiatives, an angle Abbott's own messaging echoes. 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. The acquisition strengthens Abbott's leadership position and capabilities in diagnostics, positioning the company to advance technologies that are more preventative, predictive and personalized, and expands Abbott's presence in one of the fastest-growing areas of healthcare as cancer incidence continues to rise worldwide.

The estimated enterprise value of the deal is $23 billion, including Exact Sciences' $1.8 billion in net debt. Accretion is expected to begin in 2028 as synergies mature.

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. Abbott's integration of that pipeline into its existing diagnostics, medical devices, and international distribution network across more than 160 countries will determine whether the $21 billion price tag proves prescient or merely expensive.