Sir Harpal Kumar’s Keynote Address at WIRED UK
April 4, 2023

April 4, 2023 – Recently at WIRED UK Health in London, Sir Harpal Kumar, President Biopharma Business and Europe at GRAIL, gave a keynote address on the cancer landscape in the UK, the creation and history of GRAIL, and the potential impact of multi-cancer early detection on today’s cancer paradigm. 

“Almost all cancers that result in death are found at late stages,” said Kumar. “The vast majority of these cancers are diagnosed when people present with symptoms, by which time the cancer is often very advanced. Up until then… it’s an invisible enemy. So the big challenge is, can we detect these cancers before symptoms appear through screening?” 

Kumar also provided an overview of the ongoing NHS-Galleri clinical trial. The 140,000 participant trial, which completed enrollment in just over ten months, continues to progress well with over half of people having returned for the second blood draw. The trial is on track to meet retention targets which support the power needed for the final analysis after three rounds of screening.

“All of the blood collections are carried out on mobile units, and this means that we can reach into communities from which people don’t usually take part in clinical trials. For example, ethnic minority communities or areas of very high deprivation where the burden of cancer tends to be much higher.” 

View the full presentation below. 

About Galleri®
The earlier that cancer is detected, the higher the chance of successful outcomes. The Galleri multi-cancer early detection test can detect a shared cancer signal across more than 50 types of cancer, as defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual, through a routine blood draw. When a cancer signal is detected, the Galleri test predicts the cancer signal origin, or where the cancer is located in the body, to help guide the next steps to diagnosis. The Galleri test requires a prescription from a licensed health care provider and should be used in addition to recommended cancer screenings such as mammography, colonoscopy, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, or cervical cancer screening. It is intended for use in people with an elevated risk of cancer, such as those aged 50 or older.

For more information about Galleri, visit galleri.com.

Important Galleri Safety Information
The Galleri test is recommended for use in adults with an elevated risk for cancer, such as those aged 50 or older. The Galleri test does not detect all cancers and should be used in addition to routine cancer screening tests recommended by a healthcare provider. Galleri is intended to detect cancer signals and predict where in the body the cancer signal is located. Use of Galleri is not recommended in individuals who are pregnant, 21 years old or younger, or undergoing active cancer treatment.

Results should be interpreted by a healthcare provider in the context of medical history, clinical signs and symptoms. A test result of “Cancer Signal Not Detected” does not rule out cancer. A test result of “Cancer Signal Detected” requires confirmatory diagnostic evaluation by medically established procedures (e.g. imaging) to confirm cancer.

If cancer is not confirmed with further testing, it could mean that cancer is not present or testing was insufficient to detect cancer, including due to the cancer being located in a different part of the body. False-positive (a cancer signal detected when cancer is not present) and false-negative (a cancer signal not detected when cancer is present) test results do occur. Rx only.

Laboratory/Test Information
GRAIL’s clinical laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and accredited by the College of American Pathologists. The Galleri test was developed, and its performance characteristics were determined by GRAIL. The Galleri test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. GRAIL’s clinical laboratory is regulated under CLIA to perform high-complexity testing. The Galleri test is intended for clinical purposes.