Cell-free DNA and precision medicine company Natera has acquired Foresight Diagnostics, a business known for its ultrasensitive molecular residual disease (MRD) detection, in an all-stock transaction.
The transaction comprises an upfront payment of $275m and an additional $175m in earnouts based on revenue and reimbursement milestones.
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It combines Natera’s operational and commercial infrastructure with Foresight’s phased variant technology, expanding the reach of personalised MRD testing across solid tumours and lymphoma.
Natera’s acquisition of Foresight, a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-registered lab, adds the latter’s circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA)-based MRD tests to its portfolio.
These tests use the PhasED-Seq technology, which targets phased variants and has demonstrated a limit of detection 95 (LOD95) of 0.3 parts per million, with detection capabilities below 0.1 parts per million.
Foresight was founded by Stanford University physicians and scientists Ash Alizadeh, Maximilian Diehn, and David Kurtz, along with Foresight CEO and chief scientific officer Jake Chabon.
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By GlobalDataNatera CEO Steve Chapman said: “Foresight’s phased variant technology and leadership in lymphoma complement Natera’s strong capabilities in personalised MRD testing, improving the value we can deliver to patients, clinicians, biopharma partners and the broader healthcare system.”
The integration will see phased variants incorporated into Natera’s Signatera platform, further distinguishing its test performance across solid tumours.
The improved platform is said to be immediately available for research use by academic and biopharma partners and is anticipated to be introduced for clinical usage in 2026.
Foresight’s expertise in B-cell lymphomas, a group with more than 75,000 new cases every year in the US, is a key component of the transaction.
Foresight’s CLARITY MRD assay for lymphoma is being utilised in three prospective MRD-driven clinical studies to guide patient treatment decisions.
The assay will join Natera’s MRD product portfolio and continue supporting translational research, clinical studies, and future applications.
Legal counsel for Natera was provided by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Foresight was advised by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, with Centerview Partners serving as financial adviser.
