Merck CEO Rob Davis told CNBC that the personalized cancer vaccine developed with Moderna currently takes about six weeks from tumor sequencing to hospital delivery, and he expects that timeline to shorten over time, though supply and market readiness come first. The vaccine targets each patient's unique tumor mutations and is paired with Keytruda; in August, the companies released positive early data from a late-stage melanoma trial. Merck also opened a 120,000-square-foot R&D facility in West Point, Pennsylvania, as Keytruda nears loss of exclusivity, with its core U.S. compound patent expiring in December 2028. The company plans $65 billion in external acquisitions and licensing deals over five years to bolster its pipeline. A Dutch court has blocked Merck from selling subcutaneous Keytruda in eight European countries, and Merck says it will appeal.
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