(March 19, 2019, Milwaukee Business Journal) Exact Sciences Corp., the maker of the Cologuard take home colon cancer test and one of the largest public companies in Wisconsin, has appointed Kathleen Sebelius, the former governor of Kansas and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to its board of directors, the Madison company announced Tuesday.
“Secretary Sebelius understands the value of detecting cancer earlier, as well as the systemic challenges and opportunities to improve health care,” said Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences, in a statement provided by the company. “Throughout her time in public service, she always kept the needs of patients in the forefront. As we work to deliver life-changing innovations in earlier cancer detection, her experience and perspectives will be essential to helping us develop practical, next-generation tests for the screening, diagnosis and monitoring of cancers.”
Exact Sciences (Nasdaq: EXAS) recently reported fiscal 2018 total revenue of $454.5 million. The company also reported it had completed 934,000 Cologuard tests in fiscal 2018, 64 percent higher than in 2017.
The company anticipates revenue of $710 million to $730 million for 2019.
Sebelius was with HHS from April 2009 to June 2014 and governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009. She’s currently CEO of Lawrence, Kansas-based consulting firm Sebelius Resources and is a director at biopharmaceutical companies Dermira, Inc. (Nasdaq: DERM) and Myovant Sciences (NYSE: MYOV) and the Kaiser Family Foundation. She also co-chairs the Aspen Institute Health Strategy Group.
“Detecting cancer at earlier stages improves outcomes and the quality of care delivered to millions of Americans,” Sebelius said in a statement provided by Exact Sciences. “By finding disease, or the precursors of disease, early, we can avoid costly, acute-care situations that take a tremendous toll on patients, families and our economy. It’s exciting to see these kinds of advances coming to market and to have the opportunity to take part in Exact Sciences’ efforts.”
Exact Sciences is building a new 138,000-square-foot headquarters in Madison’s University Research Park that’s scheduled to be completed in early 2020.