Foundation Medicine
A Roche-owned molecular diagnostics company focused on comprehensive genomic profiling for cancer care and drug development.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Foundation Medicine is a United States molecular diagnostics company that develops and provides comprehensive genomic profiling assays for oncology. Its tests use next-generation sequencing to examine cancer-related genomic alterations in tumor tissue or blood, helping clinicians identify potentially relevant biomarkers, support the selection of targeted therapies, and characterize cancers when conventional diagnostic information is insufficient. The company also provides genomic data and analytical capabilities to biopharmaceutical companies conducting drug discovery, clinical development, and companion-diagnostic programs. The company emerged from research associated with the Broad Institute. In 2007, researchers Levi Garraway and Matthew Meyerson published work describing a large-panel approach capable of testing hundreds of cancer-related DNA mutations. That research helped establish the technical and clinical rationale for a commercial service capable of profiling a broad range of alterations in an individual tumor rather than testing one gene at a time. Foundation Medicine was launched in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2010 with Series A financing led by Third Rock Ventures. Its first commercial assay, FoundationOne, was introduced in 2012 for solid tumors. The company subsequently expanded into hematologic malignancies with FoundationOne Heme, launched in 2013, and later developed blood-based testing through the FoundationOne Liquid line. Foundation Medicine's products have been used both in routine oncology decision-making and in pharmaceutical research programs. Its partnerships with drug developers began with a Novartis pilot in 2011 and grew to more than 30 pharmaceutical relationships by 2018, reflecting the company's dual role as a clinical testing provider and a source of real-world genomic evidence. Foundation Medicine became a public company in August 2013. Coverage by Priority Health in Michigan in 2014 was an early example of a United States health plan paying for its testing services. The company also built a large de-identified genomic information resource, FoundationCore. In 2016, it contributed anonymized genomic records from approximately 18,000 adult cancer patients to the National Cancer Institute's Genomic Data Commons, supporting research into cancer subtypes and molecular alterations. Roche became Foundation Medicine's controlling shareholder before acquiring the remaining publicly held interest in 2018. Roche paid approximately $2.4 billion for the remaining 42.5 percent stake and has operated Foundation Medicine as an oncology-focused subsidiary. Under Roche ownership, Foundation Medicine's testing and data capabilities have complemented Roche's pharmaceutical and diagnostics businesses, particularly in precision oncology and companion diagnostics. The company has continued to offer tissue and blood-based assays for solid tumors, hematologic cancers, and sarcomas, while maintaining partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. In 2024, Foundation Medicine moved its headquarters from Cambridge to a newly built tower in Boston's Seaport District. The relocation consolidated Massachusetts employees previously distributed across four sites. The company remains active and is positioned around comprehensive genomic profiling, biomarker identification, treatment-support testing, and the use of large-scale cancer genomic data in clinical research.
History
Foundation Medicine developed out of academic work on broad cancer mutation testing. In 2007, Broad Institute researchers Levi Garraway and Matthew Meyerson published a study describing a method for examining a large panel of DNA mutations. The approach addressed a growing limitation of single-gene testing: tumors can contain numerous clinically relevant alterations, and testing them separately can be slow, incomplete, and difficult to integrate into treatment decisions. The research supplied part of the scientific foundation for a company that would analyze many cancer-related genes simultaneously. Foundation Medicine was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2010. Its launch was supported by a $25 million Series A financing led by Third Rock Ventures. Rather than limiting itself to laboratory testing for individual hospitals, the company pursued a model combining clinical genomic profiling with pharmaceutical research. A 2011 pilot with Novartis became its first reported pharmaceutical partnership. Such programs involved analyzing patient samples and genomic characteristics relevant to the development of oncology medicines. By 2018, the company reported more than 30 pharmaceutical partnerships. The company's first commercial assay, FoundationOne, entered the market in 2012. It was designed as a broad next-generation sequencing test for solid tumors, reporting genomic alterations and other molecular features that could be relevant to targeted treatment or clinical-trial enrollment. Foundation Medicine expanded its product portfolio in 2013 with FoundationOne Heme, an assay focused on hematologic malignancies and related cancers. In August of that year, the company completed an initial public offering, giving it access to public equity markets while it expanded laboratory operations and commercial relationships. Reimbursement was an important part of the company's development as oncology genomic testing moved from an emerging technology toward routine clinical use. In 2014, Priority Health in Michigan became the first United States health plan identified in the company's history to cover its tests. Foundation Medicine later added blood-based testing through the FoundationOne Liquid line, allowing genomic profiling in situations where a tissue sample may be unavailable, inadequate, or difficult to obtain. Its testing scope also included sarcomas and other tumor types as the company broadened its oncology offering. Foundation Medicine's data activities became a second major component of its business. Results from its assays were aggregated into FoundationCore, a de-identified genomic database containing more than 300,000 genomic profiles according to the cited reference material. In 2016, the company released anonymized genomic records from approximately 18,000 adult cancer patients to the National Cancer Institute's Genomic Data Commons. The contribution was intended to support research into cancer biology, genomic subtypes, and relationships between molecular findings and clinical disease. Roche progressively increased its ownership of Foundation Medicine and in 2018 acquired the remaining 42.5 percent of the company for approximately $2.4 billion. Foundation Medicine became a Roche subsidiary, linking its diagnostic and data capabilities with Roche's global oncology medicines and diagnostics activities. The acquisition also reinforced Foundation Medicine's role in companion-diagnostic development and in generating genomic evidence for pharmaceutical programs. The company subsequently faced patent litigation from Guardant Health in 2019 and 2020. The dispute was resolved in 2021 through a settlement under which Guardant licensed intellectual property to Foundation Medicine; the reported value was $25 million. This episode reflected the competitive and legally complex nature of liquid biopsy and molecular diagnostics, where sequencing methods, sample preparation, and genomic interpretation can be protected by overlapping patent rights. In 2024, Foundation Medicine moved its headquarters from Cambridge to Boston's Seaport district. The new facility consolidated Massachusetts employees previously spread among four locations. Foundation Medicine remains an active Roche-owned oncology diagnostics business focused on tissue and blood-based genomic profiling, companion diagnostics, and the use of genomic data in patient care and drug development.
- 2024
Boston headquarters relocation
[1]The company moves from Cambridge to Boston's Seaport district and consolidates Massachusetts employees into a newly built tower.
- 2021
Guardant patent dispute is settled
[1]Foundation Medicine and Guardant Health resolve patent litigation through a settlement that includes an intellectual-property license to Foundation Medicine.
- 2018
Roche takes full ownership
[1]Roche acquires the remaining 42.5 percent of Foundation Medicine for approximately $2.4 billion, converting the company into a Roche subsidiary.
- 2016
Genomic data is contributed to the NCI Genomic Data Commons
[1]Foundation Medicine provides anonymized genomic records from approximately 18,000 adult cancer patients to the National Cancer Institute's Genomic Data Commons.
- 2014
Priority Health becomes an early commercial payer
[1]Priority Health in Michigan becomes the first United States health plan identified in the cited history to cover Foundation Medicine's tests.
- 2013
FoundationOne Heme launches and the company goes public
[1]Foundation Medicine introduces its hematologic malignancy assay, FoundationOne Heme, and completes an initial public offering in August.
- 2012
FoundationOne launches
[1]The company introduces FoundationOne, its first commercial comprehensive genomic profiling assay for solid tumors.
- 2011
First pharmaceutical partnership
[1]Foundation Medicine pilots a patient-sample analysis program with Novartis, beginning a pharmaceutical partnership model that later expands across oncology drug development.
- 2010
Foundation Medicine is launched
[1]The company is founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a $25 million Series A financing led by Third Rock Ventures.
- 2007
Large-panel cancer mutation research is published
[1]Broad Institute researchers Levi Garraway and Matthew Meyerson publish work describing a method for testing a broad panel of cancer-related DNA mutations, helping establish the technical basis for later commercial profiling services.
Products and positioning
Precision oncology and comprehensive cancer genomic profiling
Solid-tumor comprehensive genomic profiling · 2012
FoundationOne
FoundationOne was Foundation Medicine's first commercial assay. It uses next-generation sequencing to examine a broad set of cancer-associated genomic alterations in solid-tumor specimens, producing information intended to support treatment selection, clinical-trial consideration, and molecular characterization of a patient's cancer.
Comprehensive genomic profiling and companion diagnostic
FoundationOne CDx
FoundationOne CDx is a comprehensive genomic profiling test for solid tumors. The cited reference identifies ovarian, lung, breast, colorectal, and melanoma applications among its supported tumor types. It is positioned to provide biomarker information that can inform oncology treatment decisions and support companion-diagnostic use.
Hematologic malignancy genomic profiling · 2013
FoundationOne Heme
FoundationOne Heme is a genomic profiling assay for blood cancers and related hematologic malignancies. It expanded Foundation Medicine beyond solid-tumor testing by addressing the distinct genomic features and specimen requirements associated with hematologic cancers.
Blood-based liquid biopsy
FoundationOne Liquid
FoundationOne Liquid is a blood-based genomic profiling offering. By analyzing circulating tumor-derived material, liquid testing can provide a less invasive route to molecular information when tissue is unavailable, insufficient, or difficult to collect. It is part of the company's expansion into blood-based cancer diagnostics.
De-identified oncology genomic database
FoundationCore
FoundationCore is the company's de-identified genomic data resource, assembled from results generated by its assays and associated cancer information. The database supports research and pharmaceutical activities involving cancer subtypes, biomarkers, genomic alterations, and treatment-development questions.
Brand decisions
2024
Consolidation of Massachusetts operations in BostonStrategyBackground
Foundation Medicine's Massachusetts employees had been distributed across four locations, while the company remained headquartered in the Boston area.
Action taken
The company moved its headquarters from Cambridge to a newly built tower in Boston's Seaport district.
Aftermath
The relocation brought the company's Massachusetts workforce together at one site and established Boston as its headquarters location.
2021
Settlement and intellectual-property license with Guardant HealthOtherBackground
Guardant Health had pursued patent litigation against Foundation Medicine in 2019 and 2020 involving genomic testing technologies.
Action taken
The parties settled the dispute, and Guardant Health licensed intellectual property to Foundation Medicine.
Aftermath
The settlement ended the reported litigation and allowed Foundation Medicine to continue using the licensed intellectual property under the agreement.
Reported settlement and license value. $25 million (2021)
2018
Roche completes acquisition of Foundation MedicineM&ABackground
Roche already held a substantial interest in Foundation Medicine and sought full ownership of the oncology genomic profiling company.
Action taken
Roche acquired the remaining 42.5 percent stake for approximately $2.4 billion and continued the business as a subsidiary.
Aftermath
Foundation Medicine became part of Roche's oncology-focused diagnostics and pharmaceutical ecosystem, supporting Roche's precision-medicine and companion-diagnostic activities.
Acquisition value for remaining 42.5 percent stake. $2.4 billion (2018)
Recent events
Roche launches Avenio tumor tissue genomic profiling kit[3]
Reported:
Roche launched the Avenio Tumor Tissue Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Kit, jointly developed with Foundation Medicine. The kit is designed to let laboratories expand in-house oncology research; the article says it is set to launch in Europe, North America, Asia and South America.
Natera enters partnership with Foundation Medicine[4]
Reported:
Natera reported that it entered a partnership with Foundation Medicine to develop and commercialize personalized circulating tumor DNA monitoring assays.
IDEAYA and Foundation Medicine enter genomic profiling collaboration[5]
Reported:
IDEAYA Biosciences entered into a collaboration with Foundation Medicine to support IDEAYA's tissue-type agnostic strategy, including genomic profiling of tumor samples from its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial and analyses of Foundation Medicine's FoundationCORE database.
Sources5 sources
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