Tempus to Acquire Personalis in $1.5 Bn Deal to Expand AI-Driven Cancer Diagnostics

Advertisement

The acquisition builds on the companies' existing collaboration, which began in 2023 with a focus on minimal residual disease (MRD) testing.

Tempus has signed an agreement to acquire cancer genomics company Personalis in a transaction with a total enterprise value of approximately $1.5 billion, expanding its portfolio in cancer diagnostics and long-term disease monitoring. The acquisition builds on the companies' existing collaboration, which began in 2023 with a focus on minimal residual disease (MRD) testing.

Under the deal, Tempus will gain full ownership of Personalis' MRD testing technology, including the NeXT Personal liquid biopsy assay. The test is designed to detect trace amounts of tumor DNA in a patient's blood, enabling clinicians to monitor treatment response and identify signs of cancer recurrence or residual disease at an early stage.

The acquisition strengthens Tempus' position in the rapidly growing MRD testing market, where liquid biopsy technologies are increasingly being adopted for post-treatment cancer monitoring. The company plans to integrate Personalis' diagnostics platform with its AI-driven precision medicine capabilities, which use clinical and molecular data to support treatment decisions, drug development, and patient care.

"MRD is a large and rapidly growing market with the potential to truly transform how cancer patients are monitored, helping clinicians make faster and more informed decisions when cancer recurs," said Eric Lefkofsky, CEO of Tempus.

Lefkofsky added that the companies had already demonstrated the value of combining Personalis' highly sensitive MRD technology with Tempus' commercial infrastructure through their existing partnership. He also pointed to increasing clinical adoption and reimbursement momentum as factors supporting the acquisition.

The transaction marks the next phase of a relationship that started three years ago when Tempus invested in Personalis and began commercializing the NeXT Personal MRD test. With the acquisition, Tempus will also gain access to the broader portfolio of Personalis' genomics technologies.

Personalis also shared preliminary financial results for the second quarter, reporting $22.4 million in sales. The company said it delivered 10,384 clinical tests during the quarter, representing a 33% quarter-over-quarter increase in testing volume, reflecting continued demand for its oncology diagnostics offerings.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News