Signal Novo Nordisk partners with Anthropic to test 'Claude Science' in drug R&D workflows

Summary

Novo Nordisk and Anthropic announced a collaboration on September 16, 2026, aimed at accelerating the discovery and development of new medicines and strengthening AI-driven software development. As an initial step, Novo will test Anthropic's specialized 'Claude Science' workbench in specific research and development workflows, targeting scientific problems where the two companies' combined capabilities are expected to have the greatest impact. The stated goal is to support biological reasoning and compress the timeline for discovering and developing new medicines for chronic diseases. The arrangement incorporates data governance protocols and human oversight requirements to keep AI use consistent with Novo's compliance standards. The partnership extends Novo's stated ambition to become 'the world's most AI-driven healthcare company' and follows a broader industry trend of pharmaceutical companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, and Roche partnering with AI firms including Nvidia and Anthropic.