Moderna, Merck expand mRNA cancer vaccine deal

Moderna Therapeutics Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) and Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) added Moderna's mRNA-5671 to a 2016 deal to develop and commercialize mRNA-based cancer vaccines that encode patient-specific neoantigens. Merck will also invest $125 million in Moderna's series H round (see BioCentury Extra, June 29, 2016).

The partners plan to conduct a Phase I trial of mRNA-5671 as monotherapy and in combination with anti-PD-1 mAb Keytruda pembrolizumab. Moderna spokesperson Jason Glashow said no start date has been announced...