Guardant Health Statement on Biden-Harris Administration’s Renewed Commitment to the Cancer Moonshot

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 4, 2022 – Guardant Health stands with the Biden-Harris Administration’s renewed commitment to the Cancer Moonshot and its goal to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years – and we believe this goal is achievable.  

Since its inception in 2012, Guardant Health continues to lead the way in creating blood tests that help patients across all stages of cancer live longer and healthier lives. Guardant Health’s efforts to transform cancer care across the entire disease continuum aligns well with the goals laid out by the Biden-Harris administration:

Detecting cancer at earlier stages— Guardant Health believes high-sensitivity multi-cancer screening blood tests will have a significant impact in the reduction of cancer death rates. We have developed the technology to detect early-stage cancers with a simple blood test, and we will target cancers for which early detection and intervention can save lives. Additionally, our tests can increase the compliance rate for screening in cancers with established screening protocols, such as lung and colorectal cancers. We are also developing the clinical evidence to support the value of blood-based multi-cancer screening tests. 

In 2022 Guardant Health will launch Guardant Shield™, the company’s first blood-based screening test to detect colorectal cancer, where today one in three adults are not getting the recommended screening.1 This test is also being studied in a large registrational trial to support its use in screening for lung cancer. Despite clear recommendations, only 14 percent of people eligible for lung cancer screening are up to date with screening recommendations.2 Blood-based testing can improve compliance rates, which contributes to diagnosing cancer early.    

Targeting the right treatments to the right patients — Through a simple blood test, we can identify cancer patients who have active residual disease after surgery. We can also detect early signs of disease relapse in cancer survivors, a population of nearly 17 million individuals in the United States today.3 Tailoring treatment and interventions in patients with early signs of residual disease can improve cure rates and survivals. For patients progressing to the advanced cancer stage, they are already benefiting from the power of our groundbreaking liquid biopsy tests, such as our FDA-approved Guardant360® CDx. With this test, through a simple blood draw, a doctor can conduct comprehensive genomic profiling of a patient’s tumor at critical time points in their journey with cancer, and then match that patient with the best available treatment option without the need for an invasive tissue biopsy.

Addressing inequities — Cancer underscreening is an important factor contributing to the high cancer mortality rate in underserved populations. Consider colorectal cancer screening rates: only 59 percent of Hispanics and 65 percent of African Americans are up to date with recommended screenings.4 Barriers to access such as a lack of convenient medical facilities for screenings, transportation challenges and jobs that lack flexibility or paid time off need to be addressed. A simple blood draw, with a short procedure time, can conveniently occur in a doctor’s office or in alternate settings by a trained phlebotomist. Once blood-based cancer testing is accessible and covered, it has the potential to dramatically increase screening rates, especially in underserved populations.

We believe genomic profiling of cancer is not being performed as frequently as needed. This is a major challenge for advanced cancer patients, especially in the Medicaid population, since genomic profiling can identify appropriately tested life-saving therapies for patients. We believe that simplifying and providing greater access to complete genomic testing throughout the cancer journey as an alternative to a tissue biopsy will dramatically increase access to important clinical information, lower overall cost and lead to significantly better clinical outcomes as more patients are matched with effective therapies.

Ultimately reaching the goals established by the Biden-Harris Administration depends on the ability to ensure widespread adoption of medical breakthroughs like blood-based testing. Federal and state governments must advance legislation to make cancer screening and precision medicine more accessible, including access to new diagnostics and treatment to all patients. Modernization of review pathways and measurable investments like additional funding for the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) are necessary to ensure patients have timely access to innovative technologies that can save lives.  

Guardant Health commends the Biden-Harris Administration for its renewed effort on the Cancer Moonshot and the entire healthcare community for their commitment to the goals the initiative lays out. We pledge to continue our work to help patients at all stages of cancer live longer and healthier lives through the power of blood tests and the data they unlock.  

About Guardant Health

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on helping conquer cancer globally through use of its proprietary tests, vast data sets and advanced analytics. The Guardant Health oncology platform leverages capabilities to drive commercial adoption, improve patient clinical outcomes and lower healthcare costs across all stages of the cancer care continuum. Guardant Health has commercially launched Guardant360®, Guardant360 CDx, Guardant360 TissueNext™, Guardant360 Response™, and GuardantOMNI® tests for advanced stage cancer patients, and Guardant Reveal™ for early-stage cancer patients. These tests fuel development of its screening program, which aims to address the needs of asymptomatic individuals eligible for cancer screening.

Forward-Looking Statements

This company statement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health’s liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health’s financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in its other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this company statement are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this company statement.

References 

  1. Joseph DA, King JB, Richards TB, et al. Use of Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests by State. Prev Chronic Dis 2018;15:170535. DOI: https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2018/17_0535.htm
  2. Zahnd WE, Eberth JM. Lung cancer screening utilization: a behavioral risk factor surveillance system analysis. Am J Prev Med. 2019;57(2):250-255. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.03.015
  3. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/population-of-us-cancer-survivors-grows-to-nearly-17 million.html#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20cancer%20survivors,than%2022.1%20million%20by%202030. Accessed online February 4, 2022.
  4. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures-2020-2022.pdf. Accessed online February 4, 2022.

Media Contact:
Michele Rest
press@guardanthealth.com
+1 215-910-2138