Horizonte Minerals (HZM) announced that it has entered into a five-year mining services agreement, thereby securing services for mining, stockpile generation, plant feeding and slag handling activities for its 100%-owned Araguaia Nickel Project in Brazil, where construction is underway and first production remains on track to commence in Q1-2024.
The contract has been awarded to Fagundes Construção e Mineração. The company said as it hits each of its milestones, it continues to move closer to unlocking the full value of Araguaia, and more broadly across Horizonte’s portfolio of Tier 1 assets, realising the objective of becoming a low-cost nickel producer.
Comment: Shares of Horizonte have been rising almost vertically since the beginning of November, as it enters the home stretch ahead of production at the beginning of next year. One would expect this outperformance to continue.
Redx (REDX), the clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced a progress update on lead fibrosis candidate RXC007. RXC007 is an oral, selective Rho Associated Coiled-Coil Containing Protein Kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitor which is currently being assessed in a Phase 2a study in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The company said it was pleased to be actively recruiting its Phase 2a IPF study in both Europe and the US, putting it in a position to report topline data from both the 12-week and 28-day cohorts in Q1 2024.
Comment: With its shares nestling on the lows of the past year, it would appear that today’s news needs to rouse investors, ahead of likely progress regarding topline data early next year.
Helium One Global (HE1), the primary helium explorer in Tanzania, announced David Minchin will be stepping down as CEO and from the Board of Helium One, with immediate effect, to pursue other challenges. The Board announced the appointment of Lorna Blaisse, currently Principal Geologist at Helium One, as CEO of the Company with immediate effect and, following completion of the required AIM regulatory due diligence, it is intended that Lorna be appointed as a Director of the Company.
Comment: Most followers of the company will be amazed at the departure of David Minchin, someone who effectively became Mr Helium One. His Moses like departure, ahead of arrive at the promised land of production will make the company an intriguing one to monitor in coming months.
Chaarat (CGH), the AIM-quoted gold mining company, announced its production and operational results for the full year ended 31 December 2022. The company said it was pleased to report that it exceeded its 2022 production guidance at Kapan. It is confident of achieving a similar production level in 2023 and continues to demonstrate reliable operating performance at Kapan. On 24 October Chaarat confirmed it was in discussions regarding the potential acquisition of Lydian Armenia CJSJ, the shares were suspended from trading on AIM pending the publication of the required AIM Admission Document or an announcement that the potential Acquisition is not proceeding.
Comment: Although it may be frustrating that shares of Chaarat remain suspended awaiting M&A developments, it would appear that the company is progressing on the ground, especially with regard to Kapan.
Galileo Resources (GLR) announced the results of an initial Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate for the Luansobe copper project in Zambia, completed by independent consultants Addison Mining Services. Galileo holds a 75% interest in the Project. The company said it was very pleased with the outcome of the Luansobe drill programme and the resultant tonnage and grade estimate in its maiden inferred resources. It will now continue the process of optimising a block model and open pit planning during the current quarter as a basis for engagement with potential contractors to quote for open pit mining.
Comment: The share price of Galileo has not recently been keeping up with the quality of the newsflow. That said, today’s news may be enough to deliver a change in sentiment as it underlines the momentum that the company has recently achieved.
Shield Therapeutics (STX), a commercial stage pharmaceutical company, provides an unaudited trading update for the year ended 31 December 2022, as well as an update on the company’s progress on the implementation of the collaboration with Viatris Inc. The company said it believes Accrufer® has the potential to be the oral iron treatment of choice for patients with ID/IDA. In 2022, we set out to substantially increase product adoption, sales growth, physician awareness and generate positive clinical experience and expand payor coverage. 2022 has been a landmark year for Accrufer®, marked by consistent improvements across all of these key performance indicators, led by a substantial increase in prescriptions and product revenues.
Comment: While there have been some biotech plays that have seen a turnaround in sentiment to start 2023, Shield remains unloved in share price terms, so far. The company will be hoping that today’s news moves the dial in terms of investor engagement.
Fusion Antibodies (FAB), specialists in pre-clinical antibody discovery, engineering and supply for both therapeutic drug and diagnostic applications, announces that is has launched a new commercial service from its R&D programme, named Mammalian Display, for high volume mammalian cell surface expression and screening of antibodies. The company said it was delighted to be able to announce the successful development of the Mammalian Display technology, an output from our OptiMAL® research programme. We also anticipate deploying these capabilities to bring AI generated antibody sequences out of world class computer algorithms and into a world class antibody laboratory.
Comment: Despite an envy-inducing ticker code, FAB has managed to lay low as far as its engagement with the stock market in a way that even Howard Hughes would be envious of. However, today’s news has already been described as a revolution in antibody development, and potentially the company’s “golden goose.”
genedrive (GDR), the point of care molecular diagnostics company, announced that the UK’s NICE has preliminarily recommended that the Genedrive® MT-RNR1 ID Kit can be used by the NHS following the evidence review as part of their Early Value Assessment (EVA) Programme. The company said it was delighted with the enthusiastic and positive engagement of the NICE specialist review team and encouraged by this draft stage recommendation from the EVA programme.
Comment: The shares have triple-bagged since early December, so someone, somewhere guessed that decent news was on its way. Today NICE news is clearly a big development, and even though it is normally better to travel than arrive, a further positive re-rate could still be on the cards.
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