Drug giant Novo Nordisk has announced a ‘strategic’ partnership with OpenAI to improve the efficiency of its manufacturing, supply chain and distribution operations.
Novo Nordisk said the partnership would see advanced AI capabilities used to analyse complex datasets, identify promising drug candidates, and reduce the time required to move from research to patient.
The company hopes this will propel it to the ‘forefront of AI transformation’ and bring new and better treatment options to patients faster.
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President and chief executive of Novo Nordisk, Mike Doustdar, said: ‘There are millions of people living with obesity and diabetes who need treatment options, and we know there are therapies still waiting to be discovered that could change their lives.
‘Integrating AI in our everyday work gives us the ability to analyse datasets at a scale that was previously impossible, identify patterns we could not see, and test hypotheses faster than ever. This means discovering new therapies and bringing them to market faster than ever before.’
Novo Nordisk, developers of weight loss drug Wegovy, said that pilot programmes will launch across research and development, manufacturing and commercial operations, with full integration by the end of 2026.
OpenAI will help the drug manufacturer to upskill it’s global workforce and improve their AI literacy.
Chief executive of OpenAI, Sam Altman, said: ‘AI is reshaping industries and in life sciences, it can help people live better, longer lives.
‘This collaboration with Novo Nordisk will help them accelerate scientific discovery, run smarter global operations, and redefine the future of patients care.’
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A recent GPhC position statement on the use of AI in pharmacy said that while the technology has the potential to benefit patients and the public it also creates risks that need to be managed.
The statement makes clear that pharmacy professionals remain ‘personally accountable’ for their decisions and actions and must always meet GPHC standards, even when using AI.
This comes as experts raise concerns over the launch of the first AI drug prescribing service in the US, warning that, unlike doctors, AI prescribers face no licensing or competency requirements.
The system – borne of a partnership between AI company Doctronic and the state of Utah – is designed to handle prescription renewals across nearly 200 drugs, including corticosteroids, statins, antidepressants, hormones, and anticlotting agents.
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But in an opinion piece, published in JAMA, law professors Daniel G Aaron (University of Utah) and Christopher Robertson (Boston University) argued: ‘Although physicians must demonstrate competence through rigorous training and board certification, AI prescribers face no equivalent gatekeeper.
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