Commission orders Illumina to divest Grail

EU decision regarding US companies follows takeover that took place during Commission investigation

The European Commission has demanded that the US-headquartered genomics sequencing giant Illumina reverse its acquisition of Grail, a smaller US-based firm developing blood-based cancer tests.

In a deal Illumina has said was worth about $8 billion (€7.59bn), the company—whose products are used by researchers around the world—bought Grail in August 2021, even though the Commission had opened an investigation into the move in April of that year after the approach was announced.