SAN FRANCISCO — Anthropic announced the availability of Claude Science on June 30, 2026. On the same date, the company stated it will begin developing drugs of its own.

Claude Science is an application that optimizes Anthropic's large language model for use in scientific laboratories and pharmaceutical research operations. Dario Amodei, the chief executive officer of Anthropic, spoke about the initiative. He addressed the technology's role in processing scientific data. "It's going to be a general purpose technology that helps us to make sense of that complexity, in its full complexity, better," Amodei said.

Amodei also acknowledged the uncertainties involved in drug development. "We don't know for sure if that's going to work out. But I think we're seeing signs that we're seeing the beginnings of it," he said. The company's entry into pharmaceutical development marks a shift from providing AI tools to directly creating medical treatments. Industry observers noted that this move could accelerate the pace of discovery in the sector. Analysts suggested that integrating large language models directly into the drug creation process might reduce the time required for initial research phases. However, the timeline for any resulting treatments remains unclear. Amodei did not specify which conditions Anthropic intends to target with its internal development efforts. The announcement indicates that Anthropic plans to leverage its existing AI infrastructure for biological research. Competitors in the AI space have previously partnered with pharmaceutical firms rather than developing drugs independently. This direct approach distinguishes Anthropic's strategy from other technology companies currently active in healthcare. The company has not released details regarding the specific laboratories or facilities it will use for this work.