The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries (XSO) came under pressure on Thursday, falling 57.10 points, or 1.59%, to 3,524.20.
The small-cap benchmark has now lost 47 points, or 1.32%, over the past five sessions, reflecting a softer tone across the junior end of the Australian market.
Against that weaker backdrop, several small-cap companies have reported progress across antimony development, biotechnology, helium exploration and gold project permitting. You can read about the following and more throughout the day.
Nova Minerals ships antimony plant equipment to Alaska
Nova Minerals Corp (ASX:NVA, NYSE-A:NVA, FRA:QM30) has reached a key milestone in its push towards antimony production, with processing and refining equipment now on its way to the company’s Port MacKenzie site in Alaska.
Almost 500 tons, or 454 tonnes, of crushing, ore sorting, milling, flotation and refining equipment has been assembled following a six-month procurement and logistics program.
The equipment, comprising more than 40 shipping containers and several oversized loads, departed Seattle by barge and is expected to arrive in early September.
Delivery will allow Nova to begin construction of the planned antimony processing facilities as it works towards establishing a vertically integrated US supply chain.
Percheron Therapeutics signs Vanderbilt clinical trial agreement
Percheron Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:PER, OTC:PERCF) has entered a clinical research agreement with Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tennessee, for an investigator-sponsored trial of HMBD-002 in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
Vanderbilt will lead the multi-centre study, which will assess HMBD-002 in combination with standard-of-care treatments for patients with high-risk AML and MDS.
Start-up activities are expected to begin shortly, with recruitment targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The trial will be led by Dr Somedeb Ball, assistant professor in Vanderbilt Health’s Division of Hematology and Oncology and a researcher focused on novel therapies for myeloid malignancies.
Actinogen approaches November Alzheimer’s readout
Actinogen Medical Ltd (ASX:ACW, OTC:ATGGF) is approaching a major catalyst for Alzheimer’s disease therapy Xanamem, with topline results from the pivotal XanaMIA Phase 2b/3 trial expected in November 2026.
The company said in its full-year results that the study remained on track following three positive Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommendations, including a confidential non-futility review of unblinded efficacy data in January.
Actinogen has also progressed discussions with the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency on potential pathways towards marketing approval.
Those discussions include a streamlined design for one further pivotal Alzheimer’s trial comparing Xanamem 10 milligrams with placebo, planned to begin in 2027.
D3 Energy cases Nooitgedacht wells
D3 Energy Ltd (ASX:D3E, OTCQX:DNRGF) has successfully cased and cemented wells NGT245 E and NGT245 D at its 100%-owned Nooitgedacht project in South Africa following a brief weather delay.
The company said the reservoir would now be allowed to normalise ahead of future testing, although the timing remains uncertain because of the extremely low pressure at the location.
Gas was observed flowing to surface from NGT245 E during drilling, while gas was also detected in NGT245 D before cementing.
Both wells are targeting faults and associated fractures within the Ventersdorp and Witwatersrand formations to assess reservoir deliverability and gather further data on helium and methane concentrations.
Riversgold advances Northern Zone permitting
Riversgold Ltd (ASX:RGL, FRA:RGV, OTC:RVSGF) has submitted a Native Vegetation Clearing Permit application covering its high-priority Northern Zone Intrusive Hosted Gold Project, 25 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
The application has been lodged with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation under Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Act 1986.
Approval is required before native vegetation can be cleared, making the submission an important permitting step as Riversgold continues to advance the Northern Zone project.