Madison-based Exact Sciences just landed a high-profile former politician to its board of directors.
Exact Sciences announced Tuesday that Kathleen Sebelius, the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Barack Obama, was joining the company's board. She served under the Obama administration from 2009 to 2014, and prior to that was the governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009.
Publicly traded Exact Sciences, founded in 1995, has developed a home test kit for colorectal cancer. Its product, called Cologuard, has screened more than 2 million people for cancer in less than five years. Exact Sciences says Cologuard is the first and only FDA-approved stool DNA test.
"Detecting cancer at earlier stages improves outcomes and the quality of care delivered to millions of Americans," Sebelius said in a statement. "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."
Sebelius was the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and in 2011 she was named by Forbes as the 13th most powerful woman in the world. She is currently the CEO of Sebelius Resources, a healthcare consulting company.
Other members of Exact Sciences' board include former Wisconsin Governor James Doyle, former Abbott Laboratories executive David Thompson and senior vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts John Fallon, among others.
