Moderna Teams With Germany's Immatics to Develop Cancer Vaccines and Therapies

By
Bill McColl
Bill McColl
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Bill McColl has 25+ years of experience as a senior producer and writer for TV, radio, and digital media leading teams of anchors, reporters, and editors in creating news broadcasts, covering some of the most notable news stories of the time.

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Published September 11, 2023
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

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Key Takeaways

  • Moderna will join forces with German biotech firm Immatics to focus on cancer vaccines and therapies.
  • Immantics will receive $120 million up front and the deal could total as much as $1.7 billion, plus royalties.
  • The agreement is subject to U.S. antitrust approval.

Moderna (MRNA) and German biotech firm Immatics announced an agreement to work on development of vaccines and treatments for cancer using the science behind Moderna’s COVID-19 shots.

The companies indicated Immatics would receive an upfront payment of $120 million, plus research funding and milestone payments that could exceed $1.7 billion. In addition, Immatics will be eligible for royalties from potential sales of the drugs produced.  

The collaboration would join Moderna's mRNA technology with Immatics immunology therapy platform, and also help it create its own cancer-fighting vaccine.

Rose Loughlin, Moderna’s senior vice president for research and early development, explained that the partnership will “accelerate the development of novel oncology therapies and bring us one step closer to providing significant benefits for patients with high unmet medical needs.”

Toni Weinschenk, chief innovation officer at Immatics, added that the assets of the two firms together “represent a powerful combination that has the potential to deliver meaningful benefits to cancer patients.”

The companies noted the agreement was still subject to customary antitrust clearance in the U.S.

Shares of Moderna fell 1.7% on Monday, and were down about 41% year-to-date. 

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  1. GlobeNewswire. “Moderna and Immatics Announce Strategic Multi-Platform Collaboration to Develop Innovative Oncology Therapeutics.”

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