Looking outside it might seem too early, but hay fever vaccine specialist Allergy Therapeutics (LON:AGY) is preparing for summer.
It has enrolled 250 patients into a Phase IIb study in the US for a new injectable treatment for grass pollen sufferers.
Allergy said the product design allows for an effective cumulative dose to be attained in up to six weeks.
Meanwhile, Epistem Holdings’ (LON:EHP) genedrive diagnostic test has been cleared for clinical trials in Hepatitis C (HCV) by the Institut Pasteur in Paris.
The qualitative HCV test was developed in collaboration with Inserm, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, under a €6mln EU supported programme.
In the world of oil and gas, Petroceltic International (LON:PCI) has confirmed it has completed the sale of exploration licences in Egypt to Edison International.
Edison, an Italian oil and gas group, was Petroceltic’s joint venture partner in the projects and it has paid US$9.5mln in cash for its interests.
Mosman Oil and Gas (LON:MSMN) has instigated a round of cost cuts following the scrapping to plans to acquire the South Taranaki Energy Project.
Only core staff have been retained to meet Mosman's revised 2016 budget and operational requirements.
In other news, Unilever man Rakesh Sinha is set to join food ingredient group PureCircle (LON:PURE) as its new chief financial officer.
It comes after William Mitchell retired from the company, which specialises in naturally-derived sweetener stevia.
Furthermore, Stratex International (LON:STI) has noted that the managing director of its associate, Goldstone (LON:GRL) Jurie Wessels has resigned with immediate effect.
Stratex director Emma Priestley has been appointed interim chief executive officer until a replacement is found.
Gold recoveries at Aureus Mining’s (LON:AUE, TSX:AUE) New Liberty operation in Liberia have improved so much that output in the last month and a half is around two thirds of the level achieved in the entire second half of 2015.
Since the start of the year the company has produced 11,001 ounces of gold compared with 17,172 in the six months prior to this.
Over at European Metals (LON:EMH, ASX:EMH), results from two drill holes at its Cinovec deposit in the Czech Republic reveal the “extent and consistency” of the lithium mineralisation.
One of the holes found high levels of lithium. There were also zones that were enriched with tin and tungsten.
Additionally, work carried out at the tail end of last year at Landore Resources' (LON:LND) flagship Junior Lake property in Ontario has shown one of the deposits there could be extended.
Studies also showed the dynamics of a potential open starter pit could be improved.
And finally, Providence (LON:PVR) told investors that it is currently considering a proposal from an alliance of contractors which could see a new Barryroe well drilled for just £16mln.
“The Barryroe farm out remains our key focus and whilst we are not yet in a position to confirm the structure of a transaction, we continue to work to that end,” said Tony O’Reilly, Providence chief executive.