Rethinking healthcare innovation at a global scale.

Each year, World Health Day, organized by the World Health Organization, highlights major global health priorities.

Beyond access to care, it raises a fundamental question:
how can we improve the effectiveness and safety of the therapies delivered to patients?

Part of the answer lies in transforming how drug development is conducted.

A key challenge: predictivity in drug development.

Drug development continues to face a well-known limitation:
a significant proportion of drug candidates fail during clinical phases.

This is largely due to:

• The lack of human-relevant preclinical models
• The difficulty of capturing complex biological mechanisms
• Limited ability to predict clinical efficacy and toxicity

This lack of predictivity directly impacts:

• Development timelines and costs
• Risk exposure for pharmaceutical companies
• Patient access to innovative therapies

The rise of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

To address these challenges, new paradigms are emerging under the umbrella of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

These approaches aim to:

• Develop more human-relevant models
• Reduce reliance on animal testing
• Generate more predictive and actionable data

Technologies such as organ-on-chip systems and advanced microphysiological platforms are central to this evolution.

“Neurons as a Sensor”: a functional readout of human biology.

In this context, NETRI has developed an innovative approach based on the concept of “Neurons as a Sensor” (NaaS™).

This platform leverages human neurons as biological sensors, capable of translating the effect of a drug candidate into measurable functional signals.

Unlike traditional approaches, this method:

• Measures integrated biological function
• Enables early and sensitive detection of effects
• Provides quantitative data for decision-making

This functional readout represents a key lever to improve preclinical predictivity.

Applications addressing major health challenges.

NETRI’s systems are designed to support multiple therapeutic areas with high unmet needs:

• Oncology (toxicity, tumor–nerve interactions)
• Neurology (neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases)
• Pain (peripheral and central sensitization mechanisms)
• Dermatology (inflammation and neuro-cutaneous interactions)
• Chemical neurotoxicity (chemical or pesticide evaluation)

These applications illustrate the importance of models capable of capturing the complexity of human biology.

Towards more predictive, faster and more ethical research.

Improving global health is not only about access to care—it also depends on our ability to develop better therapies.

Next-generation technologies enable:

• Increased clinical success rates
• Reduced development timelines
• Lower reliance on animal testing
• Improved quality of scientific decision-making

Conclusion.

On World Health Day, it is essential to highlight that
health innovation starts long before the clinic.

By improving the predictivity of preclinical models, it becomes possible to accelerate the development of safer and more effective therapies.

At NETRI, this ambition translates into the development of human functional models designed to support more relevant, efficient, and sustainable drug development at preclinical stage.

Your perspective matters in shaping the future of research.
If you are a patient or part of a patient community, we would be glad to connect and exchange.