Natera's Signatera MRD Test Named to TIME's Best Inventions of 2026

Natera announced on October 15, 2026 that its Signatera molecular residual disease test was named to TIME's Best Inventions of 2026 in the Medical & Healthcare category. The company said the test is used by more than 55% of oncologists in the U.S. Natera is a cell-free DNA testing company that provides MRD oncology, transplant rejection, and reproductive health tests to clinicians, health systems, and biopharma partners. The announcement was distributed by Business Wire.

Signatera's Recognition and Clinical Use

Natera said Signatera is a personalized MRD test for patients diagnosed with cancer, built from the unique genomic signature of each patient's tumor. The test detects and quantifies tiny fragments of circulating tumor DNA in the blood, providing ongoing monitoring for disease recurrence and response to treatment across cancer types. Natera said the test is supported by more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.

"One of the biggest problems in cancer care is knowing who needs additional therapy and who might safely avoid it," said Steve Chapman, chief executive officer of Natera. "Signatera can help guide those challenging decisions, because it can detect disease recurrence in the blood up to two years in advance of imaging, giving patients and their doctors greater lead time and confidence. We are honored to receive this important recognition from TIME."

TradingView reported that Natera was also named to Fortune's Future 120 in October 2026. TIME's Best Inventions list, published annually, highlights technologies and breakthroughs making the world better, smarter, and more innovative. TIME solicited nominations from its editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process, paying special attention to growing fields such as healthcare and AI. TIME then evaluated each candidate on factors including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.

Natera's Recent Regulatory and Partnership Moves

According to akta.pro company records, Natera secured Japan PMDA approval for Signatera MRD in June 2026, opening the Japanese market through the SRL Inc. distribution partnership. SRL Inc. is Natera's exclusive business partner to commercialize Signatera in Japan following PMDA approval in colorectal cancer, with a commercial launch planned by year-end 2026. The same records show Natera announced a major expansion at its North Austin headquarters campus in May 2026, including a dedicated sequencing facility expected to have the largest sequencing capacity in the world.

Earlier Signatera Developments

In October 2026, AInvest reported that Natera's stock rose 3.73% on October 5, 2026, with $850 million in trading volume, driven by a Genentech-AFT collaboration. The partnership launched AFT-70 NAVIGATE, a Phase III trial using Signatera to guide breast cancer treatment, aiming to validate MRD-guided de-escalation. In September 2026, Seeking Alpha reported that Natera's CEO and CFO discussed Q2 results at Morgan Stanley's healthcare conference, reporting Q2 sales growth of about 40% year-over-year and a record 34,000 quarter-over-quarter Signatera tests.

What Comes Next for Signatera in Japan

Natera and SRL Inc. plan a commercial launch of Signatera in Japan by year-end 2026, following the June 2026 PMDA approval in colorectal cancer.