Tempus Stock Jumps 22% as Merck-Moderna Cancer Vaccine Trial Succeeds

Shares of Tempus AI (TEM) jumped 22% on Wednesday after Merck and Moderna reported positive results from their Phase 3 trial for a personalized mRNA cancer treatment.

The study, called INTerpath-001, tested an individualized therapy called intismeran autogene combined with Merck's Keytruda against Keytruda alone in patients with high-risk melanoma. The combination met its main goal of keeping patients free from cancer longer after surgery and also lowered the risk that the cancer would spread to distant parts of the body.

Investors connected the upbeat clinical results to Tempus's planned $1.5 billion acquisition of Personalis, which provides high-precision genomic sequencing technology used in the treatment. Tempus already works with Personalis on cancer monitoring tests and will take ownership of the technology once the transaction closes.