Blood tests designed to detect cancer at early stages are reaching tens of thousands of people, as developers vie for a piece of what they expect to be a lucrative new market in healthcare.
Illumina Inc.’s Grail unit said more than 38,000 people have used its $949 blood test since it went on sale in the U.S. in June 2021, with many of them paying out of pocket because their insurance doesn’t cover it. The tests have helped clinicians diagnose some 100 patients with a range of cancers, most of which don’t have a recommended screening test, according to company data.
