Tempus AI Expands Partnership With Merck and Moderna for Cancer Therapy

Tempus AI has expanded its multi-year partnership with Merck and Moderna to provide the diagnostic infrastructure and sequencing services required for the potential commercialization of intismeran autogene. The collaboration establishes a clinical workflow for the individualized neoantigen therapy, which remains under evaluation and is not yet commercially available.

"Bringing an individualized therapy like intismeran autogene from clinical development toward potential commercialization requires a reliable diagnostic network," said Said Francis, Moderna's Chief Business Officer and General Manager, Individualized Neoantigen Therapies, in a statement.

Building a Diagnostic Foundation

Under the terms of the agreement, Tempus will manage the collection and transfer of patient tumor tissue and blood samples. The company will also provide next-generation sequencing services to support the design and manufacturing of the therapy, which is currently being tested in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA for patients with resected stage IIB-IV melanoma and other malignancies.

"What makes individualized neoantigen therapies exciting is that every treatment is designed around the biology of an individual patient's tumor. That requires a carefully coordinated process, from collecting a patient's tumor sample and generating sequencing data to designing and manufacturing an individualized therapy," said Jannie Oosthuizen, President, Global Oncology and MSD International.

Precision Medicine at Scale

Individualized neoantigen therapies, such as the candidate V940/mRNA-4157, differ from traditional off-the-shelf treatments because they require a bespoke manufacturing process tailored to a patient's specific tumor biology. This necessitates a high-speed, high-accuracy diagnostic pipeline to ensure that sequencing data can be translated into a usable therapeutic product within a clinically relevant timeframe.

"Individualized therapies represent precision medicine, but delivering on their promise requires a clinical workflow that works in the real world," said Eric Lefkofsky, founder and CEO of Tempus.

Market Performance

This infrastructure expansion arrives as Tempus AI (TEM) manages its position in the precision medicine market. As of October 12, 2026, the company's stock price was $67.73, representing a 4.51% decline in market trading. The partnership remains subject to future regulatory approvals regarding the therapy's commercialization path.