Personalis Advances Business Strategy with Investment from Merck and Extends Collaboration with Moderna

Original from: Personalis

Personalis, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSNL) announced today agreements with long time collaborators Merck and Moderna that accelerate the advancement of the company’s business strategy. The company has received an investment from Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and separately has signed a multi-year extension with Moderna to utilize Personalis’ ImmunoID NeXT Platform® and technology for V940/mRNA-4157, an investigational individualized neoantigen therapy (INT), being jointly developed by Merck and Moderna.

Merck has agreed to purchase $50 million of Personalis common stock in a private placement at a price of $3.56 per share, which was the last reported closing price of Personalis’ common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market on December 18, 2024. Following the closing, Merck will own approximately 14 million shares of Personalis common stock, representing an approximately 16.5 percent beneficial ownership interest in Personalis.

“Individualized therapies have the potential to transform cancer care,” said Chris Hall, CEO of Personalis. “A key focus for Personalis has been supporting Merck and Moderna in this important program and we are thrilled to extend the collaboration potentially through to treatment of cancer patients on a routine basis.”

Merck and Moderna have utilized Personalis’ industry-leading tumor-profiling platform since the inception of the V940/mRNA-4157 clinical development program.

“We are grateful for the long-term relationship with Merck and Moderna. Additionally, this investment reinforces our strategic role in Merck’s precision oncology efforts,” added Hall.

Source: Personalis Advances Business Strategy with Investment from Merck and Extends Collaboration with Moderna