Exact Sciences Corporation is an American molecular diagnostics company based in Madison, Wisconsin, specializing in the detection of early-stage cancers. The company provides products for the detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, including Cologuard, the first stool DNA test for colorectal cancer, along with additional screening and precision oncological tests for other types of cancer.[3]
In November 2025, Abbott Laboratories agreed to acquire Exact Sciences in a deal worth roughly $21 billion.
History
Exact Sciences was founded in 1995 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, by Stanley Lapidus and Anthony Shuber as a company focused on the development of a non-invasive test for colorectal cancer. The company eventually went public with an initial offering on the NASDAQ in 2001. In the early years, there was much speculation that the company would be acquired by a competitor or exit the market; during this time the company's share price fell to less than one dollar.[4][5]