India, Jan. 31 -- US-based Guardant Health, Inc., a leading precision oncology company, has announced an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC) to introduce a non-invasive blood-based screening programme for colorectal cancer using Guardant's Shield test. The agreement was set up through Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, a multinational pharmaceutical group and regional partner for Guardant in the Middle East and North Africa, and will be administered by the M42 healthcare system.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in Abu Dhabi, with 63% of cases diagnosed at a late stage, which adversely affects health outcomes and lowers survival rates. The introduction of the Shield blood test is intended to be a sig...