Clinigen Group PLC (LON:CLIN) is closing in on the acquisition of fellow AIM-listed specialty pharma Quantum Pharma PLC (LON:QP.) after the two agreed a £150mln cash-plus-shares deal. Clinigen, which began discussions over a possible takeover last month, said Quantum was a “sound cultural fit” and that the acquisition would add “immediate financial benefits”.
Braveheart Investment Group PLC (LON: BRH) has announced that one of its strategic investments, Kirkstall Limited - a biotechnology company operating within the global organ-on-a-chip market - has commenced an investor marketing exercise. The AIM-listed fund management and strategic investor group said the board of Kirkstall is seeking to raise up to £2.5mln in a private placing at a pre-money valuation of £5.6mln.
Alliance Pharma plc (LON:APH) is “strategically positioned for growth” following last year’s acquisition of the healthcare assets Sinclair Pharma, according to chairman Andrew Smith. His assessment was made alongside interim results, which showed revenue up 8% at £50.3mln and underlying earnings (EBITDA) ahead 3% at £13.6mln in the six months to June 30.
Daily gold production more than doubles at Anglo Asian Mining Plc (LON:AAZ) as the Ugur open pit mine commences production.
ANGLE PLC (LON:AGL) has signed an option agreement over an advance that may open a “whole new area of cancer diagnostics”. The deal is with the Barts Cancer Institute and focuses on the breakthrough made by its researchers in determining the role of megakaryocytes.
Cancer-focused immunotherapy developer Scancell Holdings Plc (LON:SCLP) is looking to bring on board one or more partners to help take its ImmunoBody and Moditope platforms to the next stage As of 30 April, the company had £2.7mln in the bank and it expects the coffers to need topping up as it prepares for a phase II trial of its SCIB1 skin cancer treatment over in the US.
Trinidad-based oiler Columbus Energy Resources PLC (LON:CERP) expects to become cash flow positive by the end of 2017 following the start of a waterflood programme at the Goudron field. The company, formerly known as LGO Energy, received a permit to start the programme yesterday and expects production to rise to 550 barrels per day by the end of 2017 and to 900bpd by mid-2018.
OptioBiotix Health PLC (LON:OPTI) is planning to hook-up with Bened Biomedical of Taiwan to explore licensing and sales opportunities over the next 12 months. The partnership would see OptiBiotix expand its product suite to include psychobiotics, where gut bacteria communicates with the brain to affect behaviour and bodily responses.
Katoro Gold PLC (LON:KAT) has announced that the Tanzanian National Environmental Management Council has issued a registration letter for the environmental impact study (ESIA) at the company's Imweru Project. The AIM-listed gold exploration and development company said receipt of the registration letter confirms successful completion of Phase 1 of the ESIA and permission to continue with Phase 2, which has already commenced.
Shares in portfolio analytics provider StatPro Group PLC (LON:SOG) opened higher after it announced a contract extension with a large European asset manager.
Range Resources PLC (LON:RRS) has spudded its QUN 161 development well in Trinidad. The well, on the Morne Diablo field, will go down to a depth of 2,200 feet, which is scheduled to take two weeks to reach, and target the Lower Forest and Upper Cruse horizons.
Chariot Oil & Gas PLC (LON:CHAR) told investors that as it awaits the start of drilling at the Rabat Deep exploration prospect, due in early 2018, the near-term focus is on efforts to strike new partnerships for other priority projects.
Cadence Minerals Plc (LON:KDNC) said its 70% joint venture partner in the Yangibana neodymium project, Hastings Technology Metals, has signed its third off-take agreement. Its the third memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreement Hastings has signed with Qiandong Rare Earth Group for the future supply of mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from the Yangibana project in Western Australia.
Thor Mining PLC (LON:THR) is continuing to assess the viability of developing the Kapunda copper project in South Australia as an in-situ recovery project. In such operations, metal is dissolved in solution and recovered in liquid form from its ore, without the need actually to break rock.