Merck to partner with Google Cloud on AI initiatives

Merck & Co is partnering with Google Cloud to build up its artificial intelligence capabilities. The partnership involves an investment of up to $1 billion over several years to fund AI infrastructure, engineers, and licensing of Google's Gemini Enterprise platform. Google Cloud engineers will work alongside Merck teams to deploy AI across drug research, regulatory work, manufacturing, and commercial operations. The collaboration aims to accelerate drug development and improve various aspects of Merck's operations, including running simulations of laboratory experiments and speeding up the regulatory process. Merck has already seen success in using AI to prepare clinical study reports and has used Google's technology to reduce the time and cost of compiling reimbursement dossiers. The partnership is expected to be at least a decade-long collaboration.