Mercy BioAnalytics has been selected to take part in the NHS trial testing whether simple blood tests can spot several cancers earlier, the company announced on 10 November 2026. Mercy is one of two US-based companies among the first four chosen to supply tests to STRIDE-RCT, led by the University of Birmingham.

The trial was announced by the UK Department of Health and Social Care on 4 November 2026. It will involve more than 20,000 NHS patients at 200 or more GP practices in England, with up to £8.49 million of government funding via the Office for Life Sciences and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

How the trial will work

Patients aged 45 and over who visit a participating GP with abdominal symptoms, such as persistent bloating or discomfort, will be offered the chance to take part. Most will give one or two tubes of blood at the practice. The tests look for signs of several cancers in a single sample and suggest where in the body they may come from.

Thirteen cancers are covered, including bowel, stomach, pancreatic, liver, ovarian, kidney, bladder and prostate. Researchers will assess whether the results, used alongside a GP's own judgement, can help decide who needs an urgent referral. A positive result is not a diagnosis, and further tests are needed to confirm it.

In England, around 71,000 people are diagnosed each year with pancreatic, stomach, liver, ovarian or bowel cancer, and these cancers account for nearly 35,000 deaths a year, the department says. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said earlier diagnosis gives patients a better chance of successful treatment. Mercy's test uses its Halo liquid biopsy platform. Mercy announced its selection on 10 November, and the University of Birmingham sets out how STRIDE-RCT will run.