Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Merck expects cancer vaccine production to speed up over time
Merck CEO Rob Davis expects production of its cancer vaccine with Moderna to get faster over time.
The personalized shot currently takes about six weeks from sequencing a patient’s tumor to delivery at a hospital.
It is designed to target mutations in each patient’s tumor, rather than using the same formula for everyone, which makes it complex to produce.
The vaccine aims to train the immune system to recognize cancer markers and is being tested with Merck’s Keytruda treatment.
Early results from a late-stage melanoma trial were positive, and the companies are also studying the approach in lung, bladder and kidney cancers.
Merck says its immediate priority is having supply ready before working to shorten production time.
Davis said the companies expect the process to improve, but did not give a timetable for faster production.
Merck CEO Rob Davis expects the time needed to manufacture the company’s personalized cancer vaccine with Moderna to shorten over time.
The current process takes six weeks from sequencing a patient’s tumor to delivering the vaccine to a hospital.
The vaccine is designed to target mutations specific to each patient’s tumor and is being paired with Merck’s Keytruda immunotherapy.
Davis said the companies are focused first on ensuring they have supply and a market ready for the treatment.
Merck and Moderna are also studying the vaccine in trials involving other tumor types.
- Who
- Merck CEO Rob Davis discussed the vaccine developed with Moderna.
- What
- Davis expects the personalized cancer vaccine’s manufacturing timeline to shorten over time.
- When
- Davis spoke to CNBC on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
- Where
- The interview was with CNBC; the vaccine is delivered to hospitals.
- Why
- A shorter manufacturing timeline could help the companies reach more patients.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Merck and Moderna released positive initial data from a late-stage trial of the vaccine with Keytruda in melanoma patients.
Merck officially opened its Advance research facility in West Point, Pennsylvania.
Davis told CNBC he expects the vaccine’s manufacturing timeline to shorten over time.
- Current manufacturing timeline
- Six weeks
- Vaccine developers
- Merck and Moderna
- Vaccine partner treatment
- Keytruda
- Research facility
- Advance, in West Point, Pennsylvania
- Facility size
- 120,000 square feet
What people are saying
But I do think over time you're going to see that timeline shortened.
I'm actually very confident that we're not going to have complexities in getting this to patients in a very timely fashion,
We're not there yet, but we're moving in a direction with technology that's really unprecedented.