Novo Nordisk partners with OpenAI in weight loss drug race

Novo Nordisk, the maker of popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is partnering with OpenAI to deploy the technology across its operations as it looks to keep pace with rapid expansion in the obesity drug market.

The Danish company announced in a statement on Tuesday that it would use AI to analyze complex datasets, identify promising drug candidates and reduce the time between research and patient application.

“It has been structured with strict data protection, governance and human oversight to ensure ethical and compliant use,” the company stated.

President and CEO Mike Doustdar said the partnership would help discover new treatments for obesity and diabetes and “bringing them to market faster than ever before."

“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,” Doustdar said. “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.”

The technology will also allow the company to streamline manufacturing, supply chain and distribution and corporate operations, with AI expected to be fully integrated by the end of the year, according to the announcement.

Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to speed up and simplify clinical development, with experts noting its use across a wide range of applications, including the discovery phase, formulation and dosage testing.

“AI is reshaping industries and in life sciences, it can help people live better, longer lives,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement. “This collaboration with Novo Nordisk will help them accelerate scientific discovery, run smarter global operations, and redefine the future of patient care.”

Novo Nordisk’s announcement comes just weeks after the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new once-daily weight-loss pill from U.S-based drug manufacturer Eli Lilly.

Lilly’s Foundayo is the second oral GLP-1 medication to enter the marketplace behind Wegovy, which launched in January.

The FDA issued a warning to Novo Nordisk in early March over its alleged failure to report adverse side effects, including death, in patients who took its weight loss medications.