NETRI WINS THE FRANCE BIOTECH HEALTHTECH TROPHIES IN THE TECHBIO CATEGORY FOR ITS “NEURONS AS A SENSOR” PLATFORM.

A recognition of a breakthrough TechBio approach

NETRI is honored to have received the HealthTech Awards in the Techbio category, organized by France Biotech.

This award, dedicated to emerging TechBio innovations, recognizes technologies at the intersection of biology, engineering and data science capable of transforming the future of healthcare innovation.

For NETRI, this distinction acknowledges a foundational scientific and technological shift: the ability to measure human biology through function, using neurons as integrated biological sensors.

Addressing the translational gap in drug development

Drug development continues to face a major structural limitation: the lack of predictive preclinical models.

Conventional approaches—whether in vitro or animal-based—often fail to:

• Accurately reflect human physiology

• Capture complex, multi-cellular interactions

• Predict clinical efficacy and toxicity

This gap results in high attrition rates, increased development costs, and delayed access to innovative therapies.

NETRI addresses this challenge through the development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) combining human biology, microengineering and artificial intelligence.

“Neurons as a Sensor”: transforming biology into quantitative data

At the core of NETRI’s platform lies a proprietary concept: Neurons as a Sensor (NaaS™).

This approach consists of transforming human neuronal networks into functional, quantitative biosensors, capable of converting the effect of a drug candidate into measurable electrophysiological signals.

Unlike traditional models relying on static endpoints (viability, morphology), NaaS™:

• Captures dynamic functional responses

• Provides early and sensitive detection of biological effects

• Generates predictive signatures correlated to clinical outcomes

This paradigm shift enables a more integrated and human-relevant understanding of drug effects.

A fully integrated TechBio platform.

NaaS™ is built on the convergence of three technological pillars:

1/ Advanced microphysiological systems
NETRI develops proprietary compartmentalized organ-on-chip devices, enabling:

• Co-culture of multiple human cell types

• Controlled microenvironments

• Functional innervation of any tissues

Coupled with electrophysiological recording systems, these devices allow direct, quantitative measurement of neuronal activity within complex biological models.

2/ Human biology at scale The platform integrates human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and derived cell types, including:

• Neuronal and non-neuronal cells

• Immune and hepatic cells

• Reconstructed tissues and organoids

This enables the generation of human-relevant, disease-specific models across multiple applications.

3/ AI-driven data exploitation
NaaS™ converts biological responses into multidimensional electrophysiological datasets, analyzed using:

• Machine learning algorithms

• Proprietary signature generation tools

• Structured data libraries linking preclinical signals to clinical outcomes

This data-centric approach allows:

• Predictive modeling of drug responses

• Mechanistic insights

• Identification of failure risks early in development

Broad applications across therapeutic areas.

Originally developed in neuroscience, the NaaS™ platform has demonstrated its relevance across multiple domains:

• Oncology (tumor–nerve interactions, Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathie (CIPN))

• Neurology (neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases)

• Pain (peripheral and central sensitization)

• Dermatology (neuro-cutaneous interactions and inflammation)

This cross-domain applicability highlights the central role of neuronal function as a universal integrator of biological responses.

From research to industrial scale.

Since its creation in 2018, NETRI has evolved from academic research to an industrial TechBio platform. Recent milestones include:

• Launch of a 1,100 m² production facility dedicated to organ-on-chip manufacturing

• Deployment of industrial-scale production capabilities