Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna Inc. (mRNA-4157/V940 option exercise)

2022 · Co-Development · $250M · Complete

Outcome grade pending — assessed 5 years post-close.

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The coverage arc

Oct 12, 2022 BioPharma Dive Bullish

Merck has exercised its option to co-develop and co-commercialize Moderna's individualized neoantigen cancer vaccine mRNA-4157/V940, paying $250 million for a…

Nov 03, 2022 Moderna Q3 2022 10-Q SEC Filing Neutral

During the third quarter of 2022, Merck exercised its option pursuant to the existing collaboration and license agreement for mRNA-4157, our investigational…

Jun 01, 2026 Merck/Moderna Press Release (5-year data at 2026 ASCO) Bullish

Five-year KEYNOTE-942 data for intismeran autogene plus KEYTRUDA presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, confirming durable recurrence-free and…

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Merck exercised its option (under the 2016 Merck/Moderna collaboration) to jointly develop and commercialize Moderna's individualized neoantigen therapy mRNA-4157/V940 (now INN: intismeran autogene), paying Moderna a $250M option-exercise payment. Following the exercise the companies share future development costs and profits 50/50 worldwide; the $250M payment was confirmed in Moderna's Q3 2022 10-Q, so the option exercise is complete. The decision came weeks before the Phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 readout, which in December 2022 met its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival in combination with KEYTRUDA in resected high-risk stage III/IV melanoma. The program subsequently advanced to pivotal Phase 3 (INTerpath-001 in adjuvant melanoma, NCT05933577, now fully enrolled; INTerpath NSCLC studies enrolling), with eight Phase 2/3 trials underway across melanoma, NSCLC, bladder cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Five-year KEYNOTE-942 data (announced Jan 20 2026 and presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting) showed sustained RFS benefit (HR 0.510; 49% reduction in risk of recurrence or death) versus KEYTRUDA alone.

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna Inc. (mRNA-4157/V940 option exercise) (this deal)2022$250M
Merck & Co. Inc. / Acceleron Pharma Inc.2021$11.5B90
Merck & Co. Inc. / Peloton Therapeutics Inc.2019$2.2B88
Merck & Co. Inc. / AstraZeneca PLC2017$8.5B87
Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna, Inc.2022$250M86
Merck & Co. Inc. / Moderna, Inc.2016$250M84
Merck & Co. Inc. / Eisai Co., Ltd.2018$5.8B83

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