Lilly and NVIDIA launch AI supercomputer to accelerate drug discovery

US pharma major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) has partnered with chipmaker NVIDIA (Nasdaq: NVDA) to develop an AI supercomputer for pharmaceutical research, a collaboration that GlobalData says could transform how medicines are discovered and developed. The project will accelerate molecular simulations, protein analysis, and large-scale AI model training to shorten the R&D cycle.

The move comes as Lilly reported 2024 revenue of around $45 billion, driven by strong sales in diabetes and obesity drugs. With that financial strength, the company can now invest in a full-scale “AI factory” powered by NVIDIA’s DGX SuperPod systems, one of the world’s most advanced AI computing platforms. The firm plans to integrate the platform across its global operations to advance molecular design, predictive toxicology, and drug modeling, while also offering secure data-sharing programs to partners.

According to GlobalData, the market for specialized AI applications is expected to reach $512 billion by 2030, led by healthcare and life sciences. The deal places both companies at the forefront of this digital transformation, as pharmaceutical firms increasingly adopt high-performance computing to reduce costs and speed up innovation.