Merck Partners With Mayo Clinic To Integrate AI, Genomic And Multimodal Data In Early Drug Development

Merck, known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, has entered into a research and development agreement with Mayo Clinic to apply artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and multimodal clinical data in drug discovery and development. The collaboration aims to combine Mayo Clinic’s platform architecture, clinical expertise, and genomic datasets with Merck’s AI-driven virtual cell technologies to improve disease understanding, enhance target identification, and strengthen early-stage development decisions.

Through the integration of the Mayo Clinic Platform, which aggregates data from Mayo Clinic’s U.S. operations and international partners within a secure environment, Merck will gain access to de-identified clinical and multimodal datasets, registries, and biorepositories. The collaboration also leverages the Mayo Clinic Platform Orchestrate program, providing Merck with advanced AI tools, analytics capabilities, and access to leading clinical and scientific expertise. This framework is designed to help validate AI models and efficiently scale research solutions.

"New cutting-edge technologies are enhancing our ability to innovate with the potential to bring important new therapies to patients faster. By working with Mayo Clinic, we aim to integrate high-quality clinical data and AI-enabled insights into discovery research to improve target identification and, ultimately, the probability of success for our programs," said Robert M. Davis, chairman and CEO, Merck.

The agreement represents Mayo Clinic’s first strategic collaboration of this magnitude with a global biopharmaceutical company. Merck will utilise extensive multimodal data, including laboratory results, imaging records, clinical documentation, and molecular data, to refine AI models and translate research findings into practical discovery and development strategies.

“By combining Mayo Clinic Platform's de-identified data, clinical expertise and Platform technology with Merck's world-class research and development capabilities, we are poised to speed innovative breakthroughs to patients and redefine drug development," said Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic. "This collaboration represents a new present and future for healthcare, one where platform-based collaboration leads to more answers, more cures and better outcomes for patients worldwide."

Initially, the partnership will focus on high-need therapeutic areas where AI-enabled multimodal approaches may accelerate innovation. These include inflammatory bowel disease in gastroenterology, atopic dermatitis in dermatology, and multiple sclerosis in neurology. The collaboration aligns with Merck’s broader investments in AI and machine learning technologies, including computational and spatial biology, foundation models, and real-world data, reinforcing both organisations’ commitment to data-driven, evidence-based drug development.