Tempus, Moderna, and Merck Form Cancer Drug Partnership
The companies have partnered to advance development of a new melanoma treatment in development.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Cancer
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Tempus has entered a multiyear collaboration with Moderna and Merck to support the commercialization of the cancer drug intismeran autogene. The initiative aims to scale the delivery of individualized neoantigen therapies for patients with stage IIB-IV melanoma.
Why it matters
This partnership leverages Tempus's sequencing infrastructure to streamline the clinical development and potential commercial distribution of targeted melanoma treatments. By integrating diagnostic capabilities into the development process, the collaboration seeks to optimize how patients receive personalized cancer care.
The collaboration follows an initial work agreement established in 2025. It focuses on the evaluation of intismeran autogene in combination with Keytruda for patients with stage IIB-IV melanoma.
The players
Tempus
A health technology company specializing in data-driven precision medicine and next-generation sequencing for cancer diagnostics.
Moderna
A biotechnology company focused on mRNA-based vaccine and therapeutic development for oncology and infectious diseases.
Merck
A global pharmaceutical firm known for developing oncology therapies, including the immunotherapy drug Keytruda.
The details
The initiative utilizes Tempus's expertise in managing the collection and transfer of patient tumor tissue and blood samples. These samples undergo next-generation sequencing to identify specific markers that inform the application of individualized neoantigen therapies. By scaling these diagnostic capabilities, the partnership supports the joint development of intismeran autogene by Moderna and Merck.
Timeline
Tempus began prior research work with Moderna and Merck in 2025.
The new multiyear collaboration was officially announced on October 7, 2026.
Health Landscape
This collaboration reflects the ongoing shift toward precision oncology, where treatment is increasingly guided by individual genomic data. It builds upon established immunotherapy platforms like Keytruda to address complex skin cancers through more personalized therapeutic approaches.
Patients with stage IIB-IV melanoma should discuss whether clinical trials involving individualized neoantigen therapies are appropriate for their specific case. Understanding your tumor's genetic profile is a conversation to have with your oncologist as new combination treatments enter clinical evaluation.
The takeaway
The partnership aims to scale the use of genomic sequencing to provide more effective, personalized treatments for advanced melanoma. Patients should continue to work closely with their oncology team to monitor developments in precision cancer therapies.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest research and advancements in Cancer care.
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