Merck CEO Rob Davis told CNBC that the company expects to shorten the manufacturing timeline for its personalized cancer vaccine developed with Moderna, currently set at six weeks. Davis stated that reducing this duration could allow the firms to reach more patients, though he emphasized that the immediate priority is ensuring supply and market readiness before accelerating production.
The vaccine is designed to target specific mutations in individual patient tumors rather than using a generic approach. This personalized nature makes production complex, as the process spans from sequencing a patient's tumor to delivering the final product to a hospital. The treatment aims to train the immune system to recognize these unique cancer markers and is paired with Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda to help the body attack the cancer more effectively. Davis described the manufacturing process as a "complex system" but noted that Merck and Moderna have refined it into a "very tight science," expressing confidence in delivering the treatment in a timely fashion.
These comments follow the release of positive initial data from a late-stage trial in August, which examined the vaccine in combination with Keytruda for melanoma patients. Davis indicated that Merck is also testing the vaccine in trials for other conditions, including non-small cell lung cancer, types of bladder cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. While Davis suggested the technology is moving toward a potential cure, he clarified that the company is not yet at that stage.
Davis made these remarks after Merck opened its new 120,000-square-foot research facility, named Advance, on its West Point, Pennsylvania campus. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined company executives for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility, which features automated robotic systems and advanced digital AI capabilities intended to streamline biological sample analysis. The opening of this facility coincides with Merck's preparations for the loss of exclusivity on Keytruda, a top-selling drug widely viewed as central to modern cancer treatment.
Keytruda's core U.S. compound patent expires in December 2028, with secondary patents extending protection into 2029 and beyond. To manage this transition, Merck has outlined a strategy involving accelerated internal research and $65 billion in external acquisitions and licensing agreements over five years to build its pipeline. The company is also developing new forms of Keytruda and combination regimens to protect revenue after patent expirations before 2030.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a subcutaneous form of Keytruda in September 2025. This version is administered under the skin in minutes, offering a contrast to the standard intravenous infusion, which takes approximately 30 minutes. However, Merck faces legal challenges regarding this newer formulation in Europe. A Dutch court issued an injunction earlier this month preventing Merck from selling, stocking, or manufacturing subcutaneous Keytruda in Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. This ruling followed a patent infringement suit by Halozyme Therapeutics over its subcutaneous drug delivery platform.
Merck stated it strongly disagrees with these rulings and plans to appeal. Patients in Europe can still receive the original form of Keytruda while the dispute continues. Halozyme has also filed a patent infringement suit against Merck in the U.S., alleging that the subcutaneous formulation infringes 15 patents filed since 2011.
Merck continues to roll out other new drugs alongside its Keytruda initiatives. These include Winrevair, a treatment for a rare life-threatening lung disease approved in 2024 following the company's $11.5 billion acquisition of Acceleron. Another recent launch is Lipfendra, a cholesterol-lowering pill approved by the FDA last month.