Guardant Health Launches Shield Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) Test in Multiple Markets in Asia with Manulife Partnership
- Partnership marks the first introduction of Shield™ multi-cancer detection test in the region with availability across Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines
- Eligible Manulife customers in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines will gain access to the Shield MCD test beginning in April 2026
Guardant Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced the launch of the Shield™ multi-cancer detection (MCD) laboratory developed test (LDT) in multiple markets in Asia. The Shield MCD test is a methylation-based blood test for the detection of multiple cancer types including bladder, colorectal, breast, prostate, esophageal, gastric, liver, lung, ovarian and pancreas cancer in individuals aged 45 or older who are at typical average risk for cancer.
The partnership with Manulife marks a first-of-its kind collaboration with a major insurer in Asia to expand access to early cancer detection in the region by offering innovative technologies like Guardant's Shield MCD test to address real, unmet health needs. As part of the partnership, eligible Manulife customers in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines will gain access to the Shield MCD test beginning in April 2026. Manulife is a large insurer in Asia serving customers across life, health, retirement and other wealth products and services.
"The introduction of our Shield MCD test in Asia marks a critical milestone in our mission to transform early detection and expand commercial access globally," said AmirAli Talasaz, Guardant Health co-CEO. "We built our Shield technology from the ground-up nearly 10 years ago with a vision to address the most common cancers where early detection is a critical component to survivorship. Shield MCD has the potential to significantly increase screening participation in Asia with the promise of detecting multiple cancers at an early stage with just a blood draw."
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in Asia. With just a blood draw, the Shield MCD test screens for 10 of the most common cancers, many of which carry high mortality rates in the region.
"By being the first insurer in Asia to offer the Shield MCD test, we're empowering our customers with a credible and valued service that encourages proactive health management," said Steve Finch, President and CEO of Manulife Asia. "This exclusive partnership demonstrates our commitment to offering innovative and differentiated solutions to improve the health outcomes of our customers."
In the United States, the Shield MCD test has received Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on its strong performance in predicting the presence of cancers and cancer tissue of origin in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Vanguard Study evaluating emerging MCD technology.
About Guardant Health
Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Anchored in our ambition to be the number one choice for customers, we operate as Manulife across Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance and health solutions for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment solutions, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 106,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers with operations across 25 markets globally. We trade as ‘MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine stock exchanges, and under ‘945' on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.
Guardant Health Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health's liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health's financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation" and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and in its other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
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