Anthropic is rolling out an internal drug discovery program alongside its Claude Science AI tools. At a San Francisco event, Eric Kauderer-Abrams, head of life sciences, said the company will target “neglected” diseases that big pharma avoids. He argued that building AI for drugmakers requires firsthand experience in the lab—tight feedback loops that only come from putting models through real-world drug development. So far, Anthropic hasn’t outlined what happens if they spot a promising candidate. Normally, a biotech firm would move straight into clinical trials. As a public benefit company, Anthropic says it can pick projects based purely on patient need rather than market potential. “We can choose programs on patient benefit, including work the commercial market overlooks,” a spokesperson told CNBC, adding that more details will come as the program advances. Big tech has tried and sometimes struggled in healthcare. Alphabet’s life sciences unit, Apple’s health features, and Amazon’s One Medical and PillPack acquisitions show mixed results. Anthropic’s pitch combines in-house drug work with its AI platform, aiming to win over traditional drugmakers for Claude Science, its new product designed for life sciences. Jonah Cool, head of life sciences partnerships, said focusing on overlooked diseases will set Anthropic apart while they refine and sell their AI tools. By working directly on drug discovery, the company hopes to improve its models and make a stronger case to partners in pharma.