Novo Nordisk has announced a wide-ranging strategic partnership with US-based artificial intelligence company OpenAI to deploy advanced AI models across its global operations, spanning research and development, manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, and commercial functions, in one of the most ambitious AI integration programmes yet seen in the pharmaceutical sector, according to Manufacturing Chemist.

The Danish drugmaker, best known for its GLP-1 treatments Wegovy and Ozempic, is targeting full AI integration across the business before the end of 2026, with pilot programmes already under way across R&D, manufacturing, and commercial operations.

Central to the partnership is the application of US-developed AI technology to accelerate drug discovery, with models deployed to analyse complex datasets at previously impossible scale, identify promising drug candidates, and reduce the time required to move therapies from bench to patient.

Mike Doustdar, president and chief executive of Novo Nordisk, said the partnership is one important step in positioning Novo Nordisk to lead in the next era of healthcare," adding that AI integration would allow the company to "identify patterns we could not see and test hypotheses faster than ever.

Sam Altman, chief executive of San Francisco-based OpenAI, said the collaboration would enable Novo Nordisk to accelerate scientific discovery, run smarter global operations and redefine the future of patient care.

Beyond drug discovery, OpenAI will support workforce upskilling and AI literacy across Novo Nordisk's global organisation. The partnership has been structured with strict data protection, governance frameworks, and human oversight to ensure ethical and regulatory compliance.

The agreement extends OpenAI's expanding footprint in life sciences, following partnerships with fellow US pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Formation Bio, and Moderna.

Read the full report for comprehensive details on the Novo Nordisk and OpenAI partnership.