OpenAI acquires Orchestra Bio to integrate AI agents into Rosalind suite for drug development

OpenAI has acquired Orchestra Bio, a San Francisco startup developing AI agents to track and optimize drug development programs. The company's technology maps setbacks like failed manufacturing batches and compares response options, while keeping scientists in charge of final decisions. Orchestra's team and platform will be folded into OpenAI's Rosalind suite, which supports biology and drug discovery. The deal follows Anthropic's $400 million purchase of Coefficient Bio, as major AI labs race to own the workflow behind new medicines. OpenAI says the integration aims to reduce the timeline and cost of bringing drugs to market, where bringing one approved drug can cost over $2.6 billion and fewer than 10% of candidates succeed.