What are individualized neoantigen therapies?
How scientists are harnessing the specific mutations of each person’s cancer to evaluate therapies that would be tailored to their own tumor
May 20, 2026
Over the past decade, immunotherapy has transformed our understanding of how the immune system can be used to help fight certain types of cancer. As the treatment of cancer continues to evolve, researchers are focusing on more individualized approaches.
This includes a new area of research into individualized neoantigen therapies, which leverage information from a patient’s tumor biopsy to help develop a therapy tailored to that person’s tumor mutations.
To help improve outcomes for people living with cancer, our scientists, in collaboration with Moderna, are exploring this innovative approach designed to train the immune system to recognize and fight cancer.
What makes each person’s cancer different — and why does it matter?
Cancer develops when the body’s own cells undergo mutations that create abnormal proteins in cancer cells, known as neoantigens. These mutations are not found in normal cells and are specific to each person’s tumor. That helps explain why people diagnosed with the same type of cancer — and treated in similar ways — could respond differently.
What if the immune system can be trained to recognize each person’s cancer?
To explore the idea of one medicine for one patient, we’re evaluating individualized neoantigen therapies as a potential way to help train the immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells unique to each individual.
Merck scientists, with colleagues at Moderna, are studying this approach to deepen our understanding of how mutations vary across different cancers — insights that could help advance more personalized approaches to cancer care.
How are individualized neoantigen therapies designed to work?
- To predict each patient’s mix of neoantigens, or tumor mutations, scientists analyze the genetic code of a person’s tumor cells.
- The analysis helps predict which neoantigens are most likely to appear on the surface of cancer cells and which may be the most promising targets for a personalized therapy.
- This tailoring could potentially allow an individualized neoantigen therapy to effectively train the immune system to find and kill specific cancer cells.
- Because healthy cells don’t have cancer neoantigens on their surface, this approach may also help avoid harming healthy tissue.
“Building on our past learnings from cancer trials involving the immune system, we’re investigating a new approach to individualized cancer care based on each patient’s specific tumor mutations. No two individualized neoantigen therapies will be alike, because no two cancers are the same.”
- Dr. Vassiliki Karantza
AVP, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories
Clinical studies are ongoing to explore the safety and effectiveness of individualized neoantigen therapies when combined with other cancer treatments. There are currently no U.S. FDA-approved individualized neoantigen therapies.
Learn more about our work in oncology.
