ABT Abbott is buying Exact Sciences for $21 billion, mainly to take over Cologuard, one of the strongest and most reliable at-home cancer screening products on the market. Exact brings in more than $2 billion a year with steady double-digit growth, and Abbott wants that recurring, high-margin diagnostics revenue in its portfolio.With Abbott’s global distribution and brand power, Cologuard can reach a much larger audience and potentially expand into other cancer screening categories Exact has been developing. The deal should lift Abbott’s diagnostics revenue above $12 billion annually once it closes in 2026.
This move fits a broader trend in healthcare: big companies are buying proven, cash-generating products instead of sinking money into risky R&D. Abbott has the financial strength to keep doing these kinds of acquisitions, backed by low leverage and strong free cash flow.
