Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan Joins Anthropic Board Ahead Of Potential IPO

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has appointed Vas Narasimhan, Chief Executive Officer of Novartis, to its board of directors, marking a significant crossover between the pharmaceutical and AI sectors. Narasimhan becomes the first executive from the global pharma industry to join the company's board, underscoring Anthropic's growing focus on real-world applications of AI, particularly in healthcare and life sciences.

His appointment comes as Anthropic continues to strengthen its governance structure, and follows the addition of Chris Liddell earlier this year.

Narasimhan has been appointed by the Anthropic Long-Term Benefit Trust—an independent governing body designed to ensure that the company balances commercial ambitions with its broader public benefit mission. Notably, members of the Trust do not hold financial stakes in the company. With this appointment, Trust-backed directors now form a majority on Anthropic's board. Narasimhan joins a high-profile lineup that includes co-founders Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei, along with industry leaders such as Reed Hastings and Jay Kreps.

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Narasimhan's inclusion signals Anthropic's intent to deepen its engagement with healthcare—a sector widely seen as one of AI's most transformative frontiers. A physician-scientist by training, Narasimhan has overseen the development and approval of more than 35 new medicines during his tenure at Novartis, operating within one of the world's most tightly regulated industries.

Anthropic leadership highlighted his experience in safely scaling complex technologies, drawing parallels between drug development and the responsible deployment of advanced AI systems. In his remarks, Narasimhan pointed to AI's potential to accelerate breakthroughs in disease understanding and drug discovery, noting that responsible deployment remains critical to unlocking long-term benefits.

The board expansion comes amid reports that Anthropic is evaluating a potential initial public offering that could materialise as early as this year. Strengthening governance and diversifying expertise on the board are seen as key steps in preparing for public markets.

For Anthropic, bringing in a global healthcare leader signals a strategic pivot: positioning itself not just as an AI research firm, but as a company aiming to shape high-impact, regulated industries.

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