Data as a return booster: NetraMark, BioNTech, and Palantir Technologies

NetraMark improves drug research

NetraMark has established itself as a pioneer in the application of AI and machine learning in the pharmaceutical industry. Its proprietary NetraAI platform enables complex data patterns to be identified and clinical trial data to be analyzed with precision. NetraMark offers AI-based platforms that analyze data to uncover hidden patterns and gain new insights for medical research and development. NetraMark specializes in identifying patterns and correlations from small data sets - a critical advantage, particularly in drug development, where sample sizes are often limited. This not only accelerates drug development, but also improves the success rates of new therapies. By integrating NetraMark's technology, pharmaceutical companies can make more efficient decisions, ultimately benefiting patients.

When companies in the pharmaceutical industry can work more efficiently with data, this offers them the opportunity to engage in more exploratory work and venture beyond existing paths in their initial research approaches. Before AI, such an approach was considered unpromising because it was too time-consuming and expensive. Today, AI can do this work in no time at all, enabling researchers to test even bold hypotheses. NetraMark's technology also ensures that researchers can specifically adapt inclusion and exclusion criteria for future study phases in order to significantly increase the probability of success. Such procedures are recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among others, and ensure that fewer studies fail in Phases 2 and 3. Since this year, NetraAI 2.0 has offered additional features such as the optimization of endpoints, inclusion criteria, and drug dosages.

BioNTech: Weak figures show need for action

The Mainz-based company BioNTech recently learned that drug research is expensive. In the first quarter of 2025, BioNTech posted a loss of EUR 416 million. The mRNA pioneer cites higher research spending as the reason for this. However, sales are also declining. Following the success of its COVID-19 vaccine, BioNTech is now compelled to bring new products to market. The Company plans to submit a marketing authorization application for a cancer drug by the end of the year. This is also where the future lies for the Mainz-based company, as mRNA technology is considered a promising treatment for cancer. Being able to analyze large amounts of data quickly and set up existing projects robustly during critical phases is also likely to benefit BioNTech greatly. Cost pressures in the development of new active ingredients and growing investor caution – Handelsblatt recently reported on an investment slump among German biotech companies – underscores the need for innovation in drug development.

Data pioneer Palantir also focuses on biotech

Palantir Technologies is known for its analysis of large data sets. Unlike NetraMark, however, Palantir operates independently of any specific industry. The Company, based in Denver, Colorado, thus occupies a promising niche: According to a study by McKinsey, the application of AI technologies could contribute up to USD 13 billion to global economic output by 2030. In the past, Palantir has increasingly supported government customers in the security sector, but Palantir's "Foundry" platform now also helps companies in the pharmaceutical sector. The Foundry platform is used to link distributed data sources, break down silos, and make complex data sets usable for decision-making. Palantir is also committed to making clinical research more efficient and has entered into a partnership with contract researcher Parexel in 2024 to optimize its clinical processes with the help of AI.

While Palantir focuses on large data sets from various sources, NetraMark addresses the challenges of clinical research, where working with small data sets is particularly important in advanced studies. Here, NetraMark's NetraAI platform excels at identifying subgroups that, for example, react particularly strongly to certain active ingredients. This is becoming increasingly important due to the trend toward more personalized therapies. Opportunities for collaboration exist for NetraMark not only with Palantir and BioNTech but also with other research-driven pharmaceutical companies.

NetraMark drives partnerships forward

BioNTech shareholders would welcome such efficiency gains – over a six-month period, the share price fell by around 13.7%. Palantir, on the other hand, is in a much better position: the big data specialist gained 85.9% over the same period. The performance of NetraMark's share is surprising in this context: the Company, which has a clear focus on AI solutions for drug research, has been trending sideways on the stock market for months. Over a six-month period, it has lost 18.6%. This could change as soon as it becomes clear what benefits NetraMark can offer potential customers. Since December 2024, a pilot project has been underway between NetraMark and a major pharmaceutical company with the goal of validating NetraMark's technology. Further collaborations are already in place, such as those with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the US and the Ontario Brain Institute.