Novo Nordisk announced that it will use OpenAI’s technology to analyze complex datasets, identify new drug candidates faster and improve the skills of its employees around the world. Full integration is expected by the end of the year.
The partnership will apply OpenAI’s cutting-edge AI capabilities across Novo Nordisk’s businesses globally, with the overarching objective of accelerating the discovery and delivery of new treatments for obesity, diabetes and other serious chronic diseases. Pilot programs will be launched in research and development, manufacturing and commercial activities. OpenAI will also help Novo Nordisk upskill its global workforce and increase AI literacy across the organization.
Novo said the partnership will be “structured with rigorous data protection, governance and human oversight to ensure ethical and compliant use.”
“This partnership is an important step in positioning Novo Nordisk to lead in the next era of healthcare,” said Mike Dusder, President and CEO of Novo Nordisk. “By integrating AI into our daily work, we can analyze datasets at a scale never before possible, identify patterns we couldn’t see, and test hypotheses faster than ever before. This means we can discover new treatments and bring them to market faster than ever before.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman added, “AI is reshaping industry and life sciences, helping people live better and longer.”
For the broader life sciences sector, the deal signals that major pharmaceutical companies are treating artificial intelligence as a core capability rather than a niche research tool, moving beyond experimental AI pilots toward integration across the organization. Novo Nordisk’s ambition to use AI to discover new treatments and shorten the time from research to patient aligns with the broader industry shift to data-driven, AI-accelerated drug discovery.
