How Ozempic and Wegovy maker Novo is using AI to develop new drugs
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One of the world's biggest sellers of weight-loss drugs is zeroing in on new pharmaceuticals developed using AI, executives said.
Why it matters: Proponents of artificial intelligence have long held high hopes for AI drug discovery, but the industry has not yet delivered any major breakthroughs.
Driving the news: Executives at Novo — which recently rebranded from its corporate name, Novo Nordisk — said the company has 30+ AI strategic partnerships and 600+ AI and digital professionals working alongside its scientists on drug discovery.
- "We have identified not only new targets but also drugs with the help of AI," Novo chief scientific officer Martin Holst Lange told reporters on Tuesday.
- He added that Novo is also still using "conventional pharmacology" and chemistry "to work together with AI and thereby amplify our science."
The big picture: Novo is under pressure to expand and diversify its drug portfolio as it faces the looming expiration of key GLP-1 patents in the early 2030s.
Zoom in: Novo — which makes Wegovy and Ozempic — disclosed in an investor presentation that it had achieved several milestones using AI in 2026, including:
- A 3-fold improvement in its "target rate" by prioritizing genes in virtual assays.
- A 90% reduction in time spent selecting trial sites and analyzing patient populations.
- A 10-fold improvement in the speed of generating clinical study reports.
What's next: Novo CEO Mike Doustdar acknowledged that AI will disrupt the company's workforce.
- He said he "will not shy away" from "saying that some tasks will become automated, and the mix of skills we need will change."
- He added: "We should be honest about that. And my responsibility, I would say, is to make sure we improve productivity and innovation, and manage the transition responsibly for our people, and that's exactly what we're planning to do."
