Oct 9 (Reuters) - A European Union regulatory order for U.S. life sciences company Illumina to sell cancer detection test maker Grail could come as early as next week, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Illumina had completed its $7.1 billion takeover of Grail in August 2021, without securing the EU regulatory approval. The genetic testing company was fined a record 432 million euros ($476 million) by the EU earlier this year over the deal.

The European Commission ordered Illumina last December to unwind the deal, three months after it had blocked the merger on concerns the deal would stifle innovation.

Illumina has been fighting the EU competition watchdog on several fronts since it was forced to seek its approval in 2021 despite the deal falling short of the EU turnover threshold for scrutiny.

Illumina declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)