Novo Nordisk partners with OpenAI

Novo Nordisk said Tuesday it is partnering with OpenAI to use artificial intelligence across drug research, factories, and sales operations. (biospace.com) The Danish drugmaker said OpenAI’s tools will help staff analyze large datasets, spot potential drug candidates, and shorten the path from research to patient use. Pilot programs start in research and development, manufacturing, and commercial teams, with full integration planned by the end of 2026. (biospace.com) Novo said the deal also covers manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, and corporate operations, and that OpenAI will help train its global workforce in artificial intelligence. The company said the setup includes data protection, governance rules, and human oversight. (biospace.com) Drug discovery is the early hunt for new medicines: researchers sift through large sets of biology and chemistry data to find targets, test ideas, and decide which compounds deserve lab work and clinical trials. Novo said artificial intelligence can help by finding patterns in those datasets faster than people can on their own. (cnbc.com) Drugmakers have been using artificial intelligence well beyond the first lab stage, including to choose clinical trial sites, identify eligible patients, and streamline long development processes. Consultant Ben van der Schaaf told CNBC last month that the industry is still using artificial intelligence in selected steps rather than as an end-to-end system. (cnbc.com) Novo is making the push while defending its position in obesity drugs against Eli Lilly. Reuters reported Tuesday that Novo has fallen behind Lilly in the weight-loss market, and Lilly won United States approval for its obesity pill orforglipron on April 1, 2026. (usnews.com) (statnews.com) Novo’s scale helps explain why the partnership reaches beyond research. Its 2025 annual report said sales rose 6% to 309.1 billion Danish kroner, and its value chain runs from identifying new treatments through manufacturing, supplier partnerships, and distribution. (annualreport.novonordisk.com 1) (annualreport.novonordisk.com 2) The company was already building artificial intelligence capacity before this deal. CNBC reported that Novo had also teamed up with Nvidia around the Gefion sovereign artificial intelligence supercomputer to build custom models for early research and clinical development. (cnbc.com) (investor.nvidia.com) Investors treated Tuesday’s announcement as a growth move. Novo shares rose 2.8% shortly after the opening bell, according to CNBC, as the company tied artificial intelligence directly to faster development and more efficient operations. (cnbc.com)