Roche has agreed to acquire molecular residual disease (MRD) specialist, Saga Diagnostics and its platform in a $595m bid – further expanding its cancer monitoring portfolio.
This merger will see Roche’s precision medicine-focused subsidiary, Foundation Medicine, absorb Saga’s Pathlight platform, which is designed to determine the best treatment option for a patient with cancer. It works by determining an individual’s molecular response to therapy while assessing if their disease has recurred.
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Debuted by Saga in May 2025, Pathlight combines digital PCR with whole genome sequencing (WGS) to spot structural variants, which are large-scale genomic changes that can drive cancer growth, while allowing for “ultra-sensitive” detection of MRD in cancer.
In a bid to develop a “decentralised MRD solution” that will enable patient access on a global scale, Foundation will combine Pathlight with Roche’s existing range of MRD diagnostic tools – including the AXELIOS sequencing and Digital LightCycler PCR platforms. Marrying these platforms will further complement Foundation’s range of WGS and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) monitoring tests.
Roche’s Saga buyout comes as the cancer care paradigm shifts towards precision medicine, which allows patients to receive treatment catered to their genetic and disease profile.
This has seen MRD tests become increasingly commonplace in cancer, with Foundation’s CEO, Dan Malarek, touting them as “one of the fastest-growing areas within diagnostics”.
“Pathlight has demonstrated strong clinical performance in breast and colorectal cancer, and we look forward to expanding its applicability across other tumour types,” Malarek added.
MRD testing competition remains stiff
As Roche looks to boost its presence in the MRD testing space, the Swiss giant will also face growing competition from other companies in the space.
This includes Natera, which became the first company to market an MRD test. The company has since submitted a premarket approval (PMA) application to US regulators for its CDx MRD test, Signatera, in February 2026, following a Phase III victory in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Natera also acquired Foresight Diagnostics in December 2025, expanding its current offering to include the latter’s phased variant technology.
Another prevalent name in the MRD testing space, Guardant Health, recently acquired MetaSight Diagnostics for $149m, which came amid the backdrop of strong 2025 revenue growth driven by its oncology division.
The cancer diagnostics sector will reach a value of $3.1bn by 2030, according to a recent report from GlobalData.
