Novo Nordisk taps OpenAI to embed artificial intelligence across drug pipeline

Novo Nordisk has struck a partnership with OpenAI to deploy advanced artificial intelligence across its global operations, in a move that underscores the pharmaceutical industry’s accelerating shift towards AI-led drug development.

The Danish group said the collaboration would span its entire value chain, from early-stage discovery through to manufacturing, supply chain and commercial functions. Pilot programmes are set to begin across research and development, manufacturing and commercial teams, with full integration targeted by the end of 2026.

The initiative aims to harness AI to analyse large and complex datasets, identify potential drug candidates and compress the time required to bring new treatments to market. Sam Altman said the partnership would enable faster scientific discovery and more efficient global operations, while Novo Nordisk’s chief executive, Mike Doustdar, highlighted the potential to test hypotheses at unprecedented scale.

OpenAI will also support workforce training, as Novo Nordisk seeks to build AI capabilities across its organisation.

The agreement reflects a broader industry trend, with large drugmakers increasingly embedding AI into core research and development processes. Novartis has used generative AI to design millions of potential compounds before narrowing laboratory testing to a small subset, while collaborations such as its tie-up with Isomorphic Labs have focused on accelerating target identification.

Elsewhere, Servier has partnered with Iktos on multi-target discovery programmes, and Takeda has worked with Arrayo to streamline antibody design using machine learning.

Industry data suggest the technology is beginning to deliver measurable gains. Around half of drug developers using AI report faster identification of viable targets, while more than two-fifths cite improved accuracy in scientific modelling. Early-stage timelines can be reduced by up to 40 per cent, with preclinical candidate identification shortened from several years to little more than a year in some cases.

However, AI has yet to deliver a drug that has secured regulatory approval in its own right. Later-stage clinical trials and regulatory review processes remain constrained by biological and logistical factors, limiting the scope for acceleration.

The partnership between Novo Nordisk and OpenAI includes provisions on data governance and human oversight, reflecting growing scrutiny from regulators. The US Food and Drug Administration has already outlined a risk-based framework for assessing AI models in drug development, shaping how companies design and deploy such systems.