Author: Fiona Craig

  • Futura Medical reports £1.62 million first-half revenue and appoints new U.S. Eroxon partner

    Futura Medical reports £1.62 million first-half revenue and appoints new U.S. Eroxon partner

    Futura Medical (LSE:FUM) reported revenue of £1.62 million for the first half of 2026, with a substantial portion generated by a settlement with former U.S. commercial partner Haleon.

    Underlying royalty income from Eroxon remained modest during the period. The company ended the first half with cash of £1.24 million, which it said provides an operational cash runway until approximately October 2026 without additional funding.

    Futura reduced its operating loss to £1.20 million during the period, while administrative expenses also declined following cost-reduction measures.

    Market Performance Group appointed as U.S. Eroxon partner

    Futura has revised its U.S. commercial arrangements for Eroxon by appointing Market Performance Group as its new partner in the market.

    The company has also secured additional patents in China and the U.S. and consolidated its global manufacturing arrangements.

    Futura is seeking additional funding and commercial partnerships as it develops its existing products and pipeline. Given its current cash position, the company will require further funding to extend operations beyond its stated runway.

    Eroxon Intense targets production from early 2027

    Futura reported positive home-user data for Eroxon Intense and has received clearance for an EU launch.

    The company is also targeting U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for the product, while production is expected to begin in early 2027. FDA clearance has not yet been obtained based on the supplied information.

    Futura is separately developing WSD4000, a female sexual health product range. The company reported feasibility and consumer study results and has begun early-stage discussions with potential partners across several major regions.

    Futura Medical is a UK-based consumer healthcare company focused on sexual health products for men and women. Its portfolio includes Eroxon, an over-the-counter topical gel for erectile dysfunction, alongside the Eroxon Intense and WSD4000 development programmes.

  • MobilityOne expects £4.88 million 2025 loss as annual report remains delayed

    MobilityOne expects £4.88 million 2025 loss as annual report remains delayed

    MobilityOne (LSE:MBO) said it expects to publish its delayed audited annual report for 2025 in September as audit work relating to its 49%-owned associate Sincere Acres and its subsidiary Hati continues.

    The company expects to report unaudited revenue of approximately £236.1 million for 2025 and a post-tax loss of around £4.88 million.

    The anticipated loss includes an impairment of approximately £1.9 million relating to MobilityOne’s investment in Sincere Acres.

    Cash falls as secured borrowings increase

    MobilityOne expects to report cash of £3.43 million for 2025, while secured borrowings increased to £7.38 million.

    The company said the delay in completing its annual report resulted from extended work by Malaysian component auditors concerning Sincere Acres and Hati.

    MobilityOne’s AIM-listed shares remain suspended from trading pending publication of the audited accounts.

    Sincere payment deadline extended again

    MobilityOne also reported a further extension to the deadline for payment of the RM28 million second tranche relating to Sincere, together with accrued interest.

    The vendor has agreed that payment will now be due by the earlier of late October or shortly after Nasdaq approval of a merger involving MobilityOne’s joint-venture partner Super Apps.

    Under the revised arrangements, MobilityOne’s Malaysian subsidiary will pay additional accrued interest of RM470,502 in two instalments. It will also pay RM1.4 million of previously accrued interest by 31 October.

    The annual interest rate applied to outstanding amounts remains unchanged at 10%.

    MobilityOne provides payment infrastructure services

    MobilityOne Limited is a Malaysian e-commerce infrastructure and payment solutions provider offering mobile prepaid reload and bill payment services.

    The group connects with banks, telecommunications companies, utilities, government agencies and transport operators. Its services include mobile wallets, internet and terminal-based payments, remittances, lending and customised financial technology systems delivered through channels including e-commerce platforms, ATMs, kiosks and banking systems.

  • Tertiary Minerals reports silver-copper-zinc drill results from Mushima North

    Tertiary Minerals reports silver-copper-zinc drill results from Mushima North

    Tertiary Minerals (LSE:TYM) has reported initial certified laboratory results from five reverse circulation drill holes completed as part of its Phase 4 programme at the Discovery Zone, Target A1, within the Mushima North Project in Zambia.

    According to the company, the drilling confirmed thick, near-surface silver-copper-zinc mineralisation across the northern part of the target and provided further evidence of continuity within the mineralised zone.

    The results are consistent with the company’s previously stated exploration target of between 15 million and 30 million tonnes.

    Drilling identifies higher-grade zone at depth

    The programme also identified a higher-grade silver-copper zone at depth.

    Tertiary reported elevated concentrations of several other metals, including bismuth, cobalt and antimony. The potential economic contribution of these metals would depend on factors including their recoverability, which has not yet been established in the supplied information.

    Additional assay results from the drilling programme remain pending.

    Metallurgical testing underway ahead of resource work

    Tertiary has submitted samples for metallurgical testing as it continues technical work at Mushima North.

    The company is progressing towards preparation of a maiden mineral resource estimate for the project, with the outstanding assay results and metallurgical work expected to provide additional information for its evaluation.

    Tertiary Minerals plc is a UK-based mineral exploration company focused on polymetallic deposits, including silver, copper and zinc.

    Its Mushima North Project in Zambia is located within an Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold belt and is being explored for near-surface polymetallic mineralisation.

  • Beeks signs multi-year Exchange Cloud agreement with Stock Exchange of Thailand

    Beeks signs multi-year Exchange Cloud agreement with Stock Exchange of Thailand

    Beeks Financial Cloud Group plc (LSE:BKS) has secured a multi-year agreement with the Stock Exchange of Thailand to deploy its Exchange Cloud platform as part of the exchange’s market infrastructure.

    Under the agreement, Exchange Cloud will provide connectivity, market data and co-location services through a single managed environment.

    The platform is expected to go live during the first half of Beeks’ FY27. The agreement will operate under a revenue-share model, providing Beeks with a source of recurring revenue over the term of the contract.

    Stock Exchange of Thailand becomes eighth Exchange Cloud customer

    The Stock Exchange of Thailand will become the eighth exchange to adopt Beeks’ Exchange Cloud offering.

    The contract also expands Beeks’ presence in the Asia-Pacific region, where the company is seeking to increase adoption of its infrastructure services among exchanges and other capital markets customers.

    Exchange Cloud provides on-premise cloud infrastructure designed for exchanges and trading venues, combining computing capacity, connectivity and related services.

    Beeks expands capital markets infrastructure business

    Beeks Financial Cloud Group plc is a UK-listed managed private infrastructure provider serving capital markets and financial institutions.

    The company provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service designed for low-latency computing, connectivity and analytics. Its services allow customers to deploy infrastructure and connect with exchanges, trading venues and public cloud environments through hybrid cloud configurations.

    Beeks was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Renfrew, Scotland. The company has more than 100 employees globally and is ISO 27001 certified.

  • African Pioneer plans drilling programme for Ongombo and Ongeama copper projects

    African Pioneer plans drilling programme for Ongombo and Ongeama copper projects

    African Pioneer Plc (LSE:AFP) is progressing plans for a multi-rig diamond drilling programme at its Ongombo and Ongeama copper projects as part of work to develop final mine designs and update the projects’ mineral resource estimate.

    The drilling programme is being undertaken with Hong Kong Xinhai Mining Services and is intended to provide information for final underground and open-pit mine designs. The results will also be used to update the existing JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate.

    The programme remains subject to regulatory approvals and the completion of conditions precedent under the financing and technical services agreement with Xinhai.

    Drilling to support mine design and plant planning

    African Pioneer expects drilling at Ongombo and Ongeama to begin once drill rig availability, regulatory requirements and detailed drill plans have been finalised.

    The drilling campaign is expected to run for several months and will require additional technical personnel. A further period will then be required to receive and assess assay results.

    Data from the programme is expected to inform final mine designs and decisions regarding plant throughput.

    Financing and development agreement processes near completion

    African Pioneer said administrative processes associated with its definitive financing and mine development agreement with Xinhai are close to completion.

    The agreement forms part of the company’s plans to advance the Ongombo and Ongeama projects through further technical work and mine development.

    African Pioneer Plc is an exploration and resource development company focused on copper projects, including the Ongombo and Ongeama deposits. The company works with technical and financial partners, including Hong Kong Xinhai Mining Services, on resource evaluation and mine development activities.

  • Capricorn Energy agrees recommended DNO offer valuing shares at US$5.214 each

    Capricorn Energy agrees recommended DNO offer valuing shares at US$5.214 each

    Capricorn Energy PLC (LSE:CNE) has agreed to a recommended cash acquisition by DNO Bidco AS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Norway-based DNO ASA, which is expected to be implemented through a Scottish scheme of arrangement.

    Under the terms, Capricorn shareholders would receive total value of US$5.214 per share, comprising US$4.224 in cash from DNO and a planned special dividend of US$0.99 per share.

    The total consideration is equivalent to approximately 384 pence per Capricorn share and represents a 45% premium to the company’s undisturbed share price and a 60% premium to its three-month average price before the relevant period.

    DNO proposal implies equity value of about US$396 million

    The transaction implies a fully diluted equity value for Capricorn of approximately US$396 million.

    According to the supplied information, this is around US$36 million above the value of a competing proposal from Genel Energy.

    Capricorn’s board, which is being advised by Canaccord Genuity, considers the terms of the DNO transaction fair and reasonable for shareholders and has recommended the acquisition.

    Shareholders will also have access to a foreign-exchange facility allowing them to receive the cash consideration in sterling rather than U.S. dollars.

    Special dividend remains subject to statutory requirements

    The planned US$0.99-per-share distribution represents a total Permitted Dividend of US$75 million.

    Payment of the dividend remains subject to applicable statutory requirements and the discretion of Capricorn’s board. If the dividend cannot lawfully be paid in full, the directors could reconsider whether to proceed with the scheme.

    Under the agreed terms, the US$4.224-per-share cash acquisition price payable by DNO will not be reduced by the amount of the Permitted Dividend.

    Capricorn Energy PLC is an oil and gas exploration and production company whose operations and cash flows are predominantly denominated in U.S. dollars. Its shares are listed in the UK.

  • Quantum Data Energy completes 7.5 MW Hindlip project below approved budget

    Quantum Data Energy completes 7.5 MW Hindlip project below approved budget

    Quantum Data Energy PLC (LSE:QDE) has completed construction and commissioning of its 7.5 MW Hindlip flexible generation project, with the facility now energised and technically ready to begin commercial operations.

    The project, which was funded in partnership with Powertree, is mechanically and electrically complete. Quantum said the facility has met G99 grid compliance and performance testing requirements for exporting electricity to the UK grid.

    Final project cost forecast at approximately £4.63 million

    Quantum expects the final cost of the Hindlip project to be approximately £4.63 million, below its approved capital expenditure budget of £5 million.

    The company attributed the difference to cost controls and the closure of project risks during construction.

    Commercial operations are expected to begin during the third quarter of 2026. The project has been energised, but the supplied information does not indicate that commercial operations have started.

    Hindlip set to become Quantum’s second operational flexible generation asset

    Once commercial operations commence, Hindlip is expected to become Quantum’s second operational flexible generation asset.

    The project forms part of the company’s strategy to develop a portfolio of more than 300 MW of flexible generation capacity.

    Quantum Data Energy PLC is a UK-based independent energy company that develops, operates and owns energy production assets. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market and focuses on flexible and modular power infrastructure for the UK grid.

    Quantum is also developing modular power solutions for AI data centres, drawing on its activities in infrastructure planning, grid and gas access and power supply.

  • AstraZeneca and HUTCHMED report Phase III results for Tagrisso-Orpathys combination

    AstraZeneca and HUTCHMED report Phase III results for Tagrisso-Orpathys combination

    AstraZeneca (LSE:AZN) and HUTCHMED reported results from the SANOVO Phase III trial in China evaluating Tagrisso in combination with Orpathys as a first-line treatment for certain patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

    The trial showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival for the combination compared with Tagrisso alone in treatment-naïve patients with EGFR-mutated, MET-overexpressing non-small cell lung cancer.

    The companies also reported trends in overall survival and said the safety profile of the all-oral combination was consistent with previously reported data.

    SANOVO evaluates combination in first-line setting

    The SANOVO study assessed the Tagrisso-Orpathys combination in patients who had not previously received treatment for EGFR-mutated, MET-overexpressing non-small cell lung cancer.

    The results extend the clinical evaluation of the combination into the first-line setting following the Phase III SAFFRON and SACHI trials, which studied the regimen in previously treated patients.

    The companies did not provide information in the supplied material regarding regulatory submissions or approvals resulting from the SANOVO findings.

    AstraZeneca develops targeted lung cancer therapies

    AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company with operations across oncology and other disease areas, including the development of treatments for lung cancer.

    Its lung cancer portfolio includes targeted therapies such as Tagrisso and Orpathys, alongside immunotherapies and other agents being developed for different stages of non-small cell lung cancer.

  • Chariot signs framework agreement for additional Angola oil exposure

    Chariot signs framework agreement for additional Angola oil exposure

    Chariot Limited (LSE:CHAR) has signed a framework agreement with Etu Energias and BW Energy to provide operational and technical support in connection with Etu Energias’ acquisition of additional interests in offshore Angola Blocks 14 and 14K.

    Under the arrangement, Chariot will receive economic exposure equivalent to approximately 4,000 barrels of oil per day. The company has indicated a net present value of more than $100 million for this exposure based on an oil price of $60 per barrel.

    The transaction increases Chariot’s economic exposure to oil production in Angola and extends its existing partnership with Etu Energias and Shell’s trading arm.

    Blocks 14 and 14K produce about 42,000 barrels per day

    Blocks 14 and 14K are producing offshore oil assets in Angola. Together, the blocks currently produce approximately 42,000 barrels of oil per day and have estimated remaining reserves of 93 million barrels.

    The licences extend into the 2030s, according to the information provided.

    BW Energy will be involved in the partnership alongside Etu Energias and Chariot. The arrangement also provides exposure to potential future developments associated with the blocks using existing infrastructure.

    Chariot increases focus on producing upstream assets

    Chariot said the transaction is consistent with its strategy of increasing its exposure to producing assets and associated revenues, with the company expecting the interests to generate cash flows over the medium term.

    Chariot Limited is an Africa-focused energy group operating across upstream oil and gas and renewable power.

    Its upstream business has assets in Angola and Morocco and is focused on securing production. The company’s renewable activities include power projects in South Africa and green hydrogen development in Mauritania. Chariot plans to monetise its renewable interests to support further expansion of its upstream operations.

  • East Star Resources agrees Rulikha copper joint venture as drilling receives approval

    East Star Resources agrees Rulikha copper joint venture as drilling receives approval

    East Star Resources (LSE:EST) has signed a binding heads of agreement with Nova to establish a joint venture covering the Rulikha copper project in East Kazakhstan.

    Under the proposed structure, Nova will be able to earn an interest of up to 75% or 65% in the project through a series of staged milestones, while East Star will retain an interest of at least 25%.

    Local mine developer Orion has been appointed as operator of the project. The arrangement is structured so that Nova and Orion will fund the work required to advance Rulikha, allowing East Star to retain an interest without providing further funding for those activities.

    Nova and Orion to fund development work

    Nova and Orion will fund resource drilling, feasibility studies, permitting and construction at Rulikha at no additional cost to East Star.

    The two companies previously developed the Karshyga and Kamkor copper mines, which subsequently entered profitable operations.

    East Star said the joint venture structure will allow it to direct its own capital towards exploration activities and its other ventures, including its joint venture with Endeavour Mining.

    Rulikha drilling programme planned for Q3 and Q4 2026

    East Star has also received drilling approval for the principal Rulikha licence area. A drilling programme is planned for the third and fourth quarters of 2026.

    The programme will form part of the work to advance the project through resource definition and subsequent development stages under the joint venture arrangement.

    East Star Resources is a London-listed gold and copper exploration and development company focused on Kazakhstan. Its activities target volcanogenic massive sulphide and polymetallic deposits.

    The company’s portfolio of copper assets in East Kazakhstan also includes the Verkhuba-Xinhai joint venture, with East Star using partnerships with local operators to advance projects through exploration and development.