Precision oncology company Guardant Health Inc (Nasdaq: GH) announced on Monday that it has entered into a multi-year strategic collaboration with pharmaceutical firm Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, to support development and commercialisation of Merck's oncology portfolio using the Guardant Infinity Smart platform.

This agreement will see Guardant's liquid and tissue biopsy tests used as clinical trial enrolment assays across Merck's global oncology studies, alongside evaluation of liquid biopsy-based companion diagnostics to support novel cancer therapies.

The companies also plan to partner on global commercialisation of drugs and companion diagnostics across the United States, Asia-Pacific, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Collaboration leverages Guardant Health's precision oncology capabilities, including blood- and tissue-based testing, real-world data and AI-driven analytics, aimed at accelerating therapy development and improving cancer detection, monitoring and treatment selection.