Guardant Health has entered a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with Merck & Co (MSD) for the development of companion diagnostics.

The partnership will also focus on the commercialisation of new cancer therapies leveraging the Guardant Infinity Smart platform.

MSD and Guardant aim to utilise Guardant’s liquid and tissue biopsy tests portfolio as enrolling assays in the former’s global oncology clinical trials.

The companies will also assess opportunities for developing new oncology therapies by utilising Guardant’s liquid biopsy tests as companion diagnostics.

They will also partner on global commercialisation of drugs and companion diagnostics, including in the Asia-Pacific, European Union (EU), UK, and US markets.

Guardant chairman and co-CEO Helmy Eltoukhy said: “This strategic collaboration allows us to bring the power of the Infinity Smart platform to some of the most important oncology programmes in development today.

“As biomarkers become more central to therapy selection, our goal is to ensure that every trial has the molecular clarity needed to reach the right patients. This collaboration strengthens our shared commitment to rigour, scale, and faster development of life-changing cancer therapies.”

Guardant focuses on precision oncology through AI analytics, advanced blood and tissue tests, and real-world data.

Its diagnostic tests address all stages of care, including early screening, recurrence monitoring in early-stage disease, and informing treatment selection for advanced cancer.

In December 2025, Guardant partnered with AI technology company Trial Library to improve access to US cancer clinical studies by integrating precision oncology diagnostics with an AI-driven patient matching platform.

This partnership aims to increase trial participation among diverse and underserved patient groups through the combination of genomic data with personalised support and navigation services.