Grail, the company behind a blood test that can detect dozens of types of cancer, has admitted that an error caused around 400 of its customers to receive letters last month incorrectly telling them they might have the disease. This was due to a software configuration issue from a vendor, PWNHealth, whose system used to send template messages had a “misconfiguration.” However, Grail has confirmed that the problem was not caused by inaccurate test results and no patient health information has been disclosed or breached. PWNHealth has implemented additional processes to prevent such incidents recurring. Illumina, Grail’s parent company, is currently facing regulatory issues in the US and the EU, which experts suggest could “stifle competition and innovation” in cancer testing.
