Merck and Mayo Clinic Announce New Research and Development Collaboration to Support AI-Enabled Drug Discovery and Precision Medicine

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RAHWAY, N.J., & ROCHESTER, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 18, 2026--

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the U.S. and Canada, and Mayo Clinic, the world's top-ranked hospital system, today announced a research and development agreement to apply artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and multimodal clinical data to support drug discovery and development. The agreement integrates Mayo Clinic's Platform architecture as well as clinical and genomic datasets with Merck's ambition to harness AI-enabled virtual cell technologies to enhance disease understanding, improve target identification and drive early development decisions.

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By leveraging Mayo Clinic Platform –which brings together data from Mayo Clinic U.S. and its international partner network in a secure environment–Merck will integrate Mayo Clinic's clinical insights and genomic data sets, including AI and machine learning (ML)-enabled discovery spanning computational and spatial biology. The new Mayo Clinic Platform_Orchestrate program provides Merck direct access to Mayo Clinic's world-class clinical and scientific expertise; platform data including de-identified clinical and multimodal data sets, registries and biorepositories; advanced AI tools and analytics; and the ability to scale solutions.

Under the agreement, which marks Mayo Clinic's first strategic collaboration of this scale with a global biopharmaceutical company, Merck will leverage Mayo Clinic's extensive multimodal data—including laboratory results, medical imaging, clinical notes and molecular data—to support validation of AI models and help translate research insights into discovery and development strategies.

"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.

“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."

The collaboration will initially focus on high-need therapeutic areas in three specialties where advanced analytics and multimodal approaches have the potential to advance progress in the development of more effective and tailored therapies:

• Gastroenterology — Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Dermatology — Atopic dermatitis
• Neurology — Multiple sclerosis

The collaboration builds on Merck's broader investments in AI/ML-enabled discovery, spanning computational or spatial biology, AI foundation models and real-world data, and reflects a shared focus on applying advanced technologies in ways that support disciplined, evidence-based drug development.

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world — and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Forward-looking statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site ( www.sec.gov ).

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260218034666/en/

CONTACT: Media Contacts:Eilyn Segura

(203) 940-6259Toneisha Friday Smith

(609) 455-6000Mayo Clinic Communications

Dan Pierce

[email protected] Contacts:Peter Dannenbaum

(732) 594-1579Steven Graziano

(732) 594-1583

KEYWORD: MINNESOTA NEW JERSEY UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BIOTECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL NEUROLOGY RESEARCH DATA ANALYTICS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SCIENCE CLINICAL TRIALS

SOURCE: Merck & Co., Inc. and Mayo Clinic

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PUB: 02/18/2026 06:45 AM/DISC: 02/18/2026 06:45 AM

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