Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, known for its obesity treatment Wegovy, announced on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, a strategic partnership with OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, to accelerate the development of new drugs. According to a statement from the group, this agreement aims to "to offer patients new and more effective treatment options more quickly".
With AI, "analyzing data on a scale previously impossible"
Novo Nordisk intends to leverage artificial intelligence tools to analyze complex datasets, identify promising drug candidates, and shorten the time from research to market. In practice, the company is relying on AI to process previously difficult-to-use data volumes, detect hidden trends, and test scientific hypotheses more quickly. "Integrating AI into our daily work allows us to analyze data on a scale that was previously impossible."said its chief executive, Mike Doustdar.
OpenAI's precise role in this partnership has not been detailed. The initial pilot programs will focus on research and development, manufacturing, and commercial activities, with broader integration planned by the end of 2026. No financial details have been disclosed. This collaboration comes amid increased competition, particularly from the American company Eli Lilly, in the highly dynamic market for obesity and diabetes treatments, where Novo Nordisk also markets Ozempic.
More than 10 years to make a drug
More broadly, the pharmaceutical industry is forging numerous partnerships with artificial intelligence (AI) companies in the hope of accelerating drug discovery. Currently, developing a treatment takes an average of more than ten years, at an estimated cost of around $2 billion, with a success rate of approximately one in ten candidates. While the promises of AI are widely touted—particularly since advances like AlphaFold's in predicting protein structures—its concrete, large-scale impact on the development of new drugs remains to be seen.
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