NVIDIA and Eli Lilly have embarked on a collaborative initiative to revolutionize drug discovery through an AI co-innovation lab. Over the next five years, the companies plan to invest as much as $1 billion to create an advanced facility in South San Francisco, combining Lilly's depth in pharmaceutical research and development with NVIDIA's cutting-edge artificial intelligence and computational resources.
What is the purpose of the new AI lab? The key goal of this lab is to establish a continuous learning environment where scientists and AI engineers work side by side. It will connect Lilly’s wet and dry labs, enhancing the drug experimentation process through continuous AI-assisted analysis. This setup aims to expedite the process of molecule identification and validation, thus shortening the overall drug development cycle.
NVIDIA envisions this lab as a model for the future of drug discovery. The integration of vast data resources and computational power will allow researchers to navigate complex chemical spaces more effectively. This approach signifies a substantial shift in how pharmaceutical companies may fulfill needs, combining proprietary data from Lilly with NVIDIA's advanced model-building techniques.
In addition to this significant initiative, the lab will utilize NVIDIA's Vera Rubin architecture and employ innovative technology such as digital twins, robotics, and agentic AI. These technologies are expected to streamline production processes, optimize supply chains and enhance clinical operations.
Furthermore, Lilly's existing AI investments, including its AI factory and supercomputer, will bolster this partnership. The integration of NVIDIA Clara™ open foundation models with Lilly's TuneLab platform is expected to benefit biotechnology partners, while NVIDIA’s Inception program will provide support for startups aiming to develop in this ecosystem.
The combination of NVIDIA and Lilly's expertise could yield significant advances in pharmaceutical innovation, opening pathways that could reshape the industry landscape.