Novo Nordisk partners with OpenAI
Pharma giant Novo Nordisk has struck a partnership with OpenAI to deploy AI across drug discovery, manufacturing and commercial operations, signaling deeper AI integration in pharma pipelines. Reuters reported the deal and analysts noted it as part of a broader acceleration of AI use in the industry. ( )
Novo Nordisk said Tuesday it is partnering with OpenAI to use artificial intelligence across drug discovery, manufacturing and commercial operations. (reuters.com) The Danish drugmaker said pilot programs will begin in research and development, manufacturing and commercial teams, with full integration planned by the end of 2026. Novo Nordisk did not disclose financial terms. (reuters.com) Novo Nordisk said it wants OpenAI’s tools to analyze large datasets, identify drug candidates and improve efficiency in supply chains, distribution and corporate operations. OpenAI will also help train Novo Nordisk’s global workforce in artificial intelligence. (biospace.com) Drug discovery is the process of finding a biological target, testing compounds against it and narrowing thousands of possibilities to a few medicines that can move into human trials. Artificial intelligence is being used as a pattern-finding tool to sift through lab, clinical and manufacturing data faster than manual review. (cnbc.com) Novo Nordisk is making the move while it tries to defend its lead in diabetes and obesity medicines against Eli Lilly, which has gained ground in the weight-loss market. Reuters reported the OpenAI deal as Novo Nordisk works to speed development of new treatments beyond Wegovy and Ozempic. (reuters.com) The agreement also fits a wider push by large drugmakers to bring generative artificial intelligence into research, factory operations and sales planning. Pharmaceutical Technology, citing GlobalData, said the total value of artificial intelligence partnerships rose 120% year over year between 2024 and 2025. (pharmaceutical-technology.com) Novo Nordisk has already been building out artificial intelligence partnerships. Bloomberg reported that the OpenAI agreement adds to an earlier research-focused deal with Nvidia announced in 2025. (bloomberg.com) Chief executive Mike Doustdar said the goal is to help scientists work faster rather than replace them. If Novo Nordisk hits its end-of-2026 timeline, the company will be using OpenAI tools across much of the chain that takes a medicine from lab work to the market. (reuters.com)
