From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Abbott’s $21 billion acquisition of Exact Sciences will bring the Madison-based diagnostics company’s cancer tests to millions more people, the businesses announced today.
Under terms of the deal released by Exact Sciences, the company will keep its presence in Madison. Current CEO and Chairman Kevin Conroy will stay on in an “advisory role to support the transition” into being a subsidiary of Abbott, which has headquarters in Illinois.
In a statement on the acquisition, Conroy said “our journey has just begun.”
“Abbott’s culture of innovation and global commercial reach will help accelerate our mission of eradicating cancer and expanding access to our tests worldwide, while delivering immediate and substantial value to our shareholders,” he said.
Exact Sciences has a variety of cancer tests, including its Cologuard test for colorectal cancer, the Oncotype DX test for breast cancer patients, the Cancerguard early detection blood test, and the Oncodetect test for assessing cancer recurrence risk.
The acquisition has an estimated total equity value of about $21 billion and an estimated enterprise value of $23 billion, according to today’s announcement. It’s expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to shareholder approval and other conditions. The deal had unanimous approval from both companies’ boards of directors.
Exact Sciences is projected to generate more than $3 billion in revenue this year. Once the acquisition is finished, Abbott will have more than $12 billion in total diagnostics sales annually, the release notes.
See the release below.
— Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer blasted Assembly Speaker Robin Vos for quashing an attempt to force a vote on expanding Medicare coverage for new moms, arguing the Rochester Republican “bullied” his caucus into opposing it.
Neubauer, D-Racine, had planned a surprise maneuver to circulate a petition that would force a vote on SB 23 once a majority of lawmakers signed on. Vos has long opposed expanding Medicaid for new mothers, despite bipartisan support for extending coverage from the current 60 days to 12 months.
Neubauer at a press conference said the Assembly chief clerk violated Assembly rules when he told Vos and Majority Leader Tyler August, R-Walworth, about the petition before it could be circulated. That led GOP leaders to refer the bill to committee, killing the effort.
“Frankly, Robin Vos’ move to prevent us from circulating this petition and his refusal to bring this bill to the floor is pathetic,” Neubauer said. “And when moms in Wisconsin and their babies are put at risk, their health and well-being is put at risk because they do not have adequate health care in the year after they give birth, it will be Robin Vos’ fault.”
Neubauer said sending the bill back to committee triggered a 21-day period before the petition can be circulated again.
The Senate in April approved SB 23 in a 32-1 vote. Vos has blocked the measure in the lower chamber despite support from 29 Assembly Republicans. He’s said he opposes expanding coverage for new moms because the state already has enough “welfare” for Wisconsinites.
During the floor session yesterday, Assembly Dems railed against Republican leaders for skirting the petition.
Rep. Robyn Vining unsuccessfully sought to introduce an amendment to AB 156, related to child sexual abuse prevention education, to extend postpartum coverage. Vining, D-Wauwatosa, was cut off while speaking by Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Petersen, R-Waupaca.
“You guys are so afraid to vote? Are you serious?” Vining yelled after her mic was cut.
“This is a disgrace,” Vining said.
Vos’ office did not return a request for comment.
— Lawmakers in states across the country are exploring legislation to crack down on kratom, a drug often sold in gas stations and smoke shops that is used to manage pain or opioid withdrawal.
More than 160 bills have been introduced this year, offering a plethora of regulatory options ranging from packaging and manufacturing rules to full bans on the chemical compound that causes reactions in humans.
The bills come as the use of kratom products has exploded in the years since the coronavirus pandemic, especially among teens and young adults. Those products come from the leaves of a plant that grows in Southeast Asia. Some manufacturers distill a potent psychoactive chemical in the plant, known as 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, to make even more potent compounds.
This month, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services would finalize regulations to classify 7-OH as a Schedule 1 narcotic, effectively banning its sale. Florida lawmakers introduced similar legislation last week.
A Michigan House panel last week advanced legislation creating regulations for distributing, selling or manufacturing kratom products. Massachusetts lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday barring sales of kratom products to those under 18.
Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas have all approved various kratom regulations this year. North Dakota lawmakers adopted a measure to study kratom and potential regulatory frameworks ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
Wisconsin, Vermont, Indiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Rhode Island had previously banned all kratom products. Rhode Island lawmakers this year advanced legislation to reverse its ban, while a similar bill died in the Indiana Senate. Georgia enacted several kratom regulations last year, including banning sales to those under 21.
See the full story here.
Top Stories
– Abbott to Acquire Exact Sciences for $21 Billion
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– Complaints About Gaps in Medicare Advantage Networks Are Common. Federal Enforcement Is Rare.
Press Releases
– Rep. Neubauer: Assembly Democrats push to extend postpartum healthcare
