ImmuPharma PLC (LON:IMM) – BUY*: Oncology programme update
Market Cap: £45m; Current Price: 36p; Target Price: 171p
Publication in prestigious medical journal Cancer Research
ImmuPharma announced that Cancer Research, the prestigious medical journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), has published a fundamental scientific paper disclosing the mechanism of action of the Company's cancer compound IPP-204106.
The IPP-204106 programme, which is a potential treatment for various cancers, involves the development of synthetic peptides, Nucants, which target surface nucleolin with very high affinity and selectivity.
The publication was entitled "Nucleolin targeting impairs the progression of pancreatic cancer and promotes the normalization of tumour vasculature" and was authored by a number of researchers working within ImmuPharma on the Company's Cancer programme.
The key finding was that Nucleolin inhibition is a new anti-cancer therapeutic strategy that has been shown to dually normalise tumour vasculature and reduce its volume. As a result, it has the potential to significantly improve the delivery and efficacy of existing chemotherapeutic drugs for difficult-to-treat tumours such as pancreatic cancer.
* Northland Capital acts as Broker
NORTHLAND CAPITAL PARTNERS VIEW: This publication is the second time that ImmuPharma’s Nucants have been acknowledged by the ACCR, providing strong validation of the company’s cancer programme. Nucleolin has been shown to be involved in angiogenesis—the development of new blood vessels. Angiogenesis is instrumental to tumour development as it is the method by which a tumour recruits blood to sustain itself. However, the quality of these new vessels is poor. Recent research has demonstrated that reducing the blood flow of tumours may induce ‘hypoxic shock’ which leads to the tumour forming resistance to chemotherapy. ImmuPharma’s Nucants are thought to interfere with these processes (by targeting Nucleolin), allowing for a significant increase in intra-tumoural chemotherapeutic drug concentration and hence stronger and more focused cytotoxicity.
Savannah Resources (LON:SAV) – CORP: Oman update
Market Cap: £22m; Current Price: 5p
Final drill result received from Mahab 4 – 14.25m at 3.86% Cu, 0.62% Zn and 0.22g/t
Savannah Resources has now received the final results from the resource expansion drill programme at Mahab 4, Block 5. The final drill result returned 14.25m at 3.86% Cu, 0.62% Zn and 0.22g/t Au from 109.1m (16B5DD018).
A new 600m diamond drill programme is now underway targeting areas of known mineralisation to establish a JORC compliant mineral resource estimate at the Dog’s Bone lens at the Aarja deposit.
Updated mineral resource estimate expected in Q416.
NORTHLAND CAPITAL PARTNERS VIEW: Savannah Resources is not letting up as it continues its rapid pace of advancement at its Omani Copper Projects, starting another drill programme on Block 4, as soon as, the Block 5 drill programme finishes. The Block 5 drill programme returned notable results including 67.4m at 4.64% Cu, 1.13% Zn and 0.3g/t Au from 18.6m (16B5DD009*), and 47m at 6.07% Cu, 1.43% Zn and 0.3g/t Au from 52m (16B5DD017*) and 10.05m at 10.51% Cu, 2.67% Zn and 0.4g/t Au from 65.2m (16B5DD010).
*drilled oblique to section to maximise sample size for metallurgical testing.