Merck teams with Cambridge startup

Among the most notable aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine race was who won it: Pfizer and two small biotechs, while most of the world’s largest and oldest vaccine makers either waited too long or picked older and ultimately less effective technologies. Since then, there’s been a minor gold-rush for mRNA among legacy makers. Last year, GSK expanded a collaboration with CureVac, one of the first mRNA startups, and Sanofi bought another called Translate Bio for $3.2 billion. Now Merck, which reportedly turned down an opportunity to partner on Moderna’s vaccine early in the pandemic, is getting in on the game. On Tuesday, the company announced a deal to develop mRNA-based vaccines and therapies with Orna Therapeutics, a Cambridge-based startup that launched during the pandemic with a slightly different take on mRNA technology. Merck will pay Orna a $150 million upfront fee, invest $100 million in a new funding round for the company, and offer $3.5 billion in longer-term milestones. For now, Merck and Orna are keeping the list of pathogens to be targeted under wraps. The company will also collaborate on treatments for cancer, in addition to infectious disease. Orna’s mRNA differs from the mRNA employed by Moderna or BioNTech in that it’s circular. In preclinical studies, that unique structure has allowed the RNA to survive longer in cells and express proteins for longer. Laronde, a biotech founded by the same VC that launched Moderna, has raised $490 million off a similar promise. — JASON MAST, STAT