ANGLE PLC (LON:AGL) (OTCQX:ANPCY) has announced that independent data from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, demonstrates the performance of ANGLE’s Parsortix system in tandem with multiple downstream molecular characterisation of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). The world-leading liquid biopsy company noted that the study used blood from healthy volunteers spiked with cancer cells from five breast cancer cell lines and one lung cancer cell line to evaluate the linearity, sensitivity, and specificity of the Parsortix system in combination with three downstream techniques for the molecular characterisation of CTCs. The Parsortix system demonstrated strong linearity suggesting that a patient sample would reflect the frequency of CTCs in the patient’s blood. Furthermore, the system was shown to be capable of isolating a single CTC spiked into 5mL of blood. This is significant given the rarity of CTCs and the prognostic significance of even a single CTC during adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, ANGLE said.
S&U PLC (LON:SUS) has said it is in “fine fettle” as the motor finance group revealed trading and profitability have rebounded despite a slowdown in November due to the second coronavirus pandemic lockdown. In a trading update for the period from August 1 to December 8, 2020, the group said demand for used cars and their auction values have “recovered well”, which was reflected in an improved rate of transactions at its Advantage motor finance business with net receivables at £253mln and customer numbers of 63,000.
Amryt Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:AMYT) (LON:AMYT) said it has received marketing approval from the authorities in Brazil for specialist cholesterol drug Lojuxta. The rare diseases specialist noted that the drug is used to treat homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH), a rare condition where the body finds it difficult to remove bad cholesterol from the blood. It has been approved by the regulator ANVISA for use alongside a low-fat diet and other lip-lowering drugs.
Red Rock Resources PLC (LON:RRR) chairman Andrew Bell has told investors that the company is lined up for an active 2021. “We are pleased with the progress on all fronts,” Bell said in a projects update. “In each jurisdiction, as we move from the regulatory issues associated with grant and contract registration to operational issues, the timing comes under our direct control and we can pick up the pace.” Bell added: “We believe we have exceptional projects, and with good science and good exploration we can bring their potential to light.”
Arix Bioscience PLC’s (LON:ARIX) portfolio company Harpoon Therapeutics Inc (Nasdaq:HARP) has reported a partial response in patients receiving its lead program HPN424 in a prostate cancer trial. The response was seen in the highest dose group in the continuing Phase1/2a dose-escalation trial, said Harpoon. In addition, three of seven patients enrolled in the currently highest fixed-dose cohort had serum PSA reductions, including one with a reduction of 50%.
Bahamas Petroleum Company PLC (LON:BPC), on Wednesday, told investors that it has not been served in relation to a speculated application to the Supreme Court of The Bahamas. The company, in a brief statement, noted media speculation in The Bahamas regarding actions said to be underway by environmental activists.
SigmaRoc PLC (LON:SRC) announced the successful completion of a placing to “accelerate” its near term acquisition and investment pipeline as the construction materials group also said it is continuing to perform strongly despite the environment created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Liberum Capital and Peel Hunt placed a total of 24,312,737 SigmaRoc ordinary shares at a price of 51p each, a 3.3% discount to its closing price on Tuesday, raising gross proceeds of approximately £12.4mln. SigmaRoc said after establishing a “firm operational platform to manage risks posed by the pandemic”, it has now developed an investment pipeline of bolt-on acquisition and small expansion investment opportunities and that the proceeds from the placing will “accelerate its strategic development by executing on opportunities from within this pipeline”.
Advanced Material Development Ltd (AMD) has secured its first contract under the UK’s weapons framework, Weapons Sector Research Framework (WSRF). This contract is worth £125,000 and will fund the development of AMD’s carbon-based inks technology to improve their ability to shield personnel and assets. The WSRF is managed by QinetiQ, MDA and Thales and was established earlier in 2020 as a five-year framework to develop and exploit all forms of weapons technologies for Britain’s defence.
PCF Group Plc (LON:PCF) said it would use the disruption from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to undertake a strategic review of its business to reset objectives and targets. The specialist bank added that it has seen a recovery in loan repayments in recent months but is still being cautious over guidance given the uncertain backdrop. Loans in forbearance totalled £23mln at the end of November 2020 compared to £139mln at the peak of the first lockdown but results for the year-end September 2020 were still affected by higher impairments.
SIMEC Atlantis Energy Ltd (LON:SAE) chief executive Tim Cornelius struck a positive and optimistic note as the renewable power firm provided an operations update to investors. “2020 has presented significant challenges for us all but it has also presented many opportunities of which we have been able to take advantage with the support of our shareholders and stakeholders,” Cornelius said. “As a result, 2021 is looking to be a very positive year of milestone achievements across all of our divisions.” The company is expecting to advance planning and final permitting for the Uskmouth power station project in the first half of 2021. Presently, the company is responding to final information requests from the planning authorities, with the assistance of Mitsubishi.
Vast Resources PLC (LON:VAST) has launched a £4.8mln share placing which will satisfy the equity requirement for a larger financing package for the Baita Plai project in Romania The company told investors that the financing term sheet with an international banking institution is advancing and will go to bank’s final credit committee approval on December 15. Among the conditions is the requirement for the company to raise the equivalent of US$6.2mln of additional equity, and, as such the company is now launching the share placing.
Sensyne Health PLC (LON:SENS) is raising up to £27.5mln to “industrialise and scale” its data platform. A total of £25mln is coming from a placing of new shares at 90p each – a transaction that has now been successfully completed. Existing private investors can participate via an open offer of new stock. In the same announcement, Sensyne also said it had struck an exclusive strategic collaboration with Phesi, a US clinical trials data company.
Baker Steel Resources Trust Limited (LON:BRST) has announced that its unaudited net asset value per share (NAV) at November 30, 2020, was 74.9p per share, a 1.7% decrease against the NAV per share as of October 30, 2020, as a result of fall in the value of the listed portion of the portfolio due to lower precious metal prices as well as a fall in the value of the US Dollar against Sterling.
OptiBiotix Health PLC (LON:OPTI), a life sciences business developing compounds to tackle obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and skincare, has said it intends to appoint experienced pharma executive Christopher Brinsmead as a non-executive director, subject to the completion of regulatory due diligence being carried out by the company’s Nomad. The firm noted that Brinsmead has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 30 years, holding executive leadership roles with ICI, and Zeneca, before becoming chairman of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals UK, President of AstraZeneca UK and Ireland (2001-2010), and President of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) from 2008-2010.
Sativa Wellness Group Inc (LON:SWEL) has said its board of directors have resolved to change the company’s fiscal year-end from July 31 to December 31, effective immediately. By moving the company’s reporting cycle to a calendar quarter basis in line with its operating subsidiaries. Sativa Wellness aims to reduce the time constraints and administrative expenses with having to reconcile multiple reporting periods among other related corporations. As a result of the year-end change, the company will now report interim financial statements for the three month period ended October 30, 2020, by the end of December 2020 and audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, by the end of April 2021. Afterwards, the company will revert to a customary reporting calendar based on a December 31 year-end, with fiscal quarters ending on the last day of March, June, September and December each year.
finnCap Group PLC (LON:FCAP), the leading adviser and broker to ambitious growth companies, both public and private, has announced the promotion of John Farrugia to the position of managing partner at Cavendish Corporate Finance, following eight years as a partner at the leading UK M&A advisory firm. Farrugia brings 20 years’ experience to the role, 13 of which have been spent at Cavendish, where he has built up an outstanding track record of deal completions in the technology and tech-enabled business services sectors. He succeeds Tom Hayward, who previously stepped into the role following finnCap’s merger with Cavendish and IPO. Hayward will continue to perform his Group-wide role of COO, in which he will work closely with Farrugia, from an operational standpoint, to help further grow the business. Farrugia commented: “After 13 years at Cavendish I am delighted to be leading the firm through the next phase of our growth. Cavendish has a long 32-year track record in M&A and is made up of highly dedicated, dynamic and experienced colleagues. I very much look forward to working with them as we move Cavendish forward in our goal to become an even stronger leading M&A mid-market advisory firm. Through our entire finnCap Group offering we aim to always be able to support our clients’ ambitions wherever they may be on their business journey.” Sam Smith, chief executive of finnCap Group added: “I am thrilled to announce John’s promotion to Managing Partner of Cavendish as we move forward in our goal of Cavendish becoming a leading M&A mid-market advisory firm. John is completely committed to Cavendish, understands the wider group strategy and is a keen supporter of the sector specialist approach we take.”
Anglesey Mining PLC (LON:AYM) said it has issued 1,575,000 new ordinary shares, representing approximately 0.7% of the company’s current issued share capital, at 1.8p per share for gross proceeds of £28,350. These warrants were granted as part of the placing of 12.5mln shares which took place on August 24, 2020. Following this exercise no further warrants remain outstanding.
IQ-AI Ltd (LON:IQAI) said it has received a notice from its CEO, Trevor Brown, converting £50,000 convertible loan notes and the £5,250 associated interest, issued in March 2019, at a price of 2p each, into 2,762,500 ordinary shares. In addition, the company has also received a conversion notice from the CEO, converting £90,000 convertible loan notes and the £8,100 associated interest, issued in May 2019, at a price of 1.5p each, into 6,640,000 ordinary shares. In total, Brown will indirectly or directly be issued a total of 9,302,500 ordinary shares. In addition, he has sold 1,900,000 ordinary shares in the company. Following the transactions, Brown will be directly and indirectly interested in 49,813,236 IQ-AI ordinary shares, representing approximately 29.32% of the enlarged issued ordinary share capital.
MetalNRG PLC (LON:MNRG) said that at a general meeting of the company held on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, all of the resolutions were duly passed. The results of the proxy and poll voting will be available on the company’s website: www.metalnrg.com
Alien Metals Ltd (LON:UFO), a minerals exploration and development company, said it has released an updated corporate presentation as of December 5 2020. Alien Metals continues to develop its projects in Mexico and Western Australia and continues to develop its exciting portfolio in the strong Iron ore, Silver and Copper commodities. The updated presentation can be found on the company’s website through the following link: www.alienmetals.uk
Tharisa PLC (LON:THS) has said that it’s CEO, Phoevos Pouroulis will provide a live investor presentation via the Investor Meet Company platform on Thursday, December 10, 2020, at 2.00pm GMT. Investors can sign up to Investor Meet Company for free and add to meet Tharisa via: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/tharisa-plc/register-investor
Impax Environmental Markets PLC (LON:IEM) has said its monthly factsheet for November 2020 is now available on the company’s website at: https://impaxenvironmentalmarkets.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/factsheet-Impax-Environmental-Markets-Plc-november-2020.pdf
