Novartis Uses AI to Pick Sites for 14,000-Patient Leqvio Trial, Cutting Selection from Weeks to Two Hours

Novartis turned to AI in 2023 when it started a 14,000-person, late-stage cardiovascular outcomes trial for its cholesterol drug Leqvio, and Chief Medical Officer Shreeram Aradhye told Reuters in January 2026 that the usual four- to six-week site selection process became a two-hour meeting. The AI helped identify higher-performing trial sites, and Novartis closed enrollment with only 13 patients above its target. "AI becomes augmenting intelligence, not artificial intelligence," Aradhye said. Reuters reported the case as part of a wider shift in pharma: AI has not yet delivered on finding breakthrough molecules, but drugmakers are using it to streamline labor-intensive steps such as finding trial sites and participants and drafting documents for regulators. A Novartis spokesperson said time savings at individual steps like site selection can add up to months over a drug-development program. Novartis did not disclose which AI system, data or vendor it used for site selection; the reported results are the company's own figures.