The next cash cow? Quick profits with NetraMark, Moderna, and BioNTech

BioNTech bets on acquisitions in the race against cancer

The Mainz-based biotech company BioNTech generated revenue of EUR 182.8 million in the first quarter of the current year. This is around EUR 5 million less than in the same period last year. This year, the bottom line is a loss of EUR 415.8 million, around a third higher than in 2024. Nevertheless, the Company is satisfied: "Our goal is to develop BioNTech into a leading biotech company with multiple oncology products by 2030," said CFO Jens Holstein. To achieve this goal, the Mainz-based company must invest in research and development and acquisitions. Most recently, CureVac shareholders were made an offer to acquire BioNTech shares at a premium of around 55% to the three-month average price of CureVac shares of USD 3.53. Despite the premium, the acquisition should be worthwhile for BioNTech – the Swabian company's offering complements BioNTech's portfolio in the areas of mRNA design, delivery formulations, and mRNA manufacturing.

In the long term, BioNTech has already set its sights on returning to the golden days of the COVID era from a business perspective. In the future, cancer drugs are expected to generate substantial revenues and impressive profits. Moderna, BioNTech's fiercest rival during the pandemic, is also gearing up to fight cancer with mRNA technology. In addition to products targeting lung and skin cancer, which Moderna is developing together with Merck, the US company is also using mRNA technology to combat RSV and influenza.

Moderna is also betting on mRNA – Will auxiliary technologies ultimately decide the outcome?

Moderna's revenue and earnings are also disappointing – the picture is similar to that of BioNTech. Analysts assessed the past quarter as mixed. According to Reuters, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee noted that regulatory changes in the US could create uncertainty in the short term despite the solid development of the Company's pipeline. Moderna itself confirmed its revenue forecast for 2025 of USD 1.5 to 2.5 billion. CEO Stéphane Bancel emphasized that the focus on cancer products and improved efficiency will drive long-term development. "We remain confident in Moderna's long-term growth as we pursue multiple approvals," said Bancel.

In the race for tomorrow's active ingredients, details are becoming increasingly important. The reason: almost all major biotech companies are focusing on mRNA technology. In addition to auxiliary technologies that make the use of active ingredients more efficient, tools that accelerate research processes and – as desired by Moderna's CEO – make them more efficient are also benefiting. A tool of this kind is offered by the Canadian company NetraMark. NetraMark specializes in AI-supported analyses for the pharmaceutical industry. According to its own information, the Company develops "generative artificial intelligence/machine learning solutions" to segment patient data from various sources and convert it into intelligent insights for clinical studies.

Will NetraMark make the decisive difference in the fight against cancer?

To achieve this, NetraMark uses a novel "topology" algorithm that breaks down even the smallest data sets into explainable subsets, enabling the creation of more robust models. This approach aligns with recommendations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and helps accelerate clinical trials while reducing the risk of costly setbacks.

A robust study design of this kind can, for example, reduce the risk of non-responders - test subjects who do not respond to a drug or show other undesirable side effects. This, in turn, can help ensure that fewer participants drop out of clinical trials. The latter can jeopardize studies investigating drugs for rare diseases in particular, as it is already difficult to find a sufficient number of subjects in this area. If study participants drop out during a study, this can reduce the significance of the results and cause delays – in times of the race to beat cancer, neither BioNTech, Moderna, nor their competitors can afford this. NetraMark's solution, which already cooperates with service providers such as Worldwide Clinical Trials, could enhance the development programs of multiple major biotech companies.**

NetraMark on the verge of its next boost?

NetraMark's stock experienced a true rally last fall. Since then, the share - which combines biotechnology with modern data processing and AI - has been consolidating. As the Company is currently valued at only EUR 66.6 million, there is still room for a revaluation. If NetraMark comes up with new collaborations, tangible results, or additional features, things could move quickly for the Canadian small cap.