Lunit said it has signed a distribution agreement with Guardant Health, a U.S.-based company specializing in precision oncology, to distribute the latter’s cancer diagnostic products in Korea.

Under the accord, the two companies will work to introduce Guardant Health's various liquid biopsy and tissue genetic analysis services to various medical institutions in Korea. These services precisely analyze cancer using blood.

Initially, the two companies will offer various liquid biopsy services, including Guardant360 and Guardant Reveal.

Guardant360 detects cancer-specific gene mutations in patients with advanced solid tumors by analyzing cell-free DNA (cfDNA) - trace amounts of DNA fragments that cancer cells release into the bloodstream, using next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the comprehensive genomic test for all solid tumors. The test serves as a companion diagnostic for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drugs such as Tagrisso, Librevant, Enherto, Lumacras, and Orserdu, a treatment for ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Guardant Reveal detects circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood to assess microscopic residual disease (MRD) and helps identify patients at high risk of post-surgical recurrence in colorectal, lung, and breast cancers to determine the best course of treatment.

Unlike conventional invasive tissue testing, liquid biopsy genomic analysis only requires a simple blood draw. It provides faster test results, leading to quicker treatment decisions.

Lunit aims to diversify its sales structure in the domestic market with the introduction of Guardant Health’s product in Korea. It also plans to launch Guardant Health's new products in Korea as soon as possible, further strengthening their partnership.

"After we signed an exclusive partnership with Guardant Health in 2021, Lunit and Guardant Health started working together to offer cancer precision diagnosis services. We launched our first co-developed product globally earlier this year," said Lunit CEO Suh Beom-Seok.

Suh added that the distribution network from this agreement will be crucial when they launch Lunit Scope in Korea.