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November 18, 2024

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Radiopharm Theranostics CEO Shares Company Milestones as NASDAQ Listing Nears

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During a fireside chat with analysts from Brookline Capital Markets, Radiopharm Theranostics’ (ASX:RAD) CEO Riccardo Canevari provided clinical and corporate updates highlighting the company’s achievements while waiting for the completion of its listing on the NASDAQ expected at the end of 2024.

Canevari provided some updates about the joint venture with MD Anderson Cancer Center and the progress with the B7-H3 targeting radio-antibody (BetaBart). BetaBart is the first targeted radiopharmaceutical against the 4Ig subtype of B7-H3, the most common subtype expressed in human tumors.

“Management is initially targeting small cell lung cancer but sees additional opportunities in colon, renal, lung, cervical, prostate and glioma cancers,” Canevari said. The joint venture is expecting to undertake its first-in-human Phase 1/2 therapeutic trial by mid-2025.

Canevari also outlined the progress of RAD’s focus programs including RAD101 for imaging brain metastases; RAD204 in NSCLC; RAD301 imaging in pancreatic cancer; and RAD202 in breast/gastric:

  • RAD 101, an F18 radiolabeled Pivalate for brain metastases, received FDA IND approval for a Phase 2b trial aiming to enroll 30 patients, with the first dose expected in Q4 2024 and results anticipated mid-2025.
  • RAD 204, a Lu-177-labeled nanobody targeting PD-L1 in NSCLC, recently dosed its first patient in a Phase 1 dose-escalating trial in Australia.
  • RAD 301, a 68Ga-labeled αvβ6-integrin for imaging Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, also recently dosed its first patient in a Phase 1 trial at Montefiore Medical Center, building on positive compassionate use data from 99 patients.
  • RAD 402, targeting advanced prostate cancer with Tb-161, which has shown higher tumor uptake compared to Lu-177.

RAD initiated the process to obtain asecondary listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market in 2023, which the company expects to be completed by the end of 2024.

Highlights of the report

  • Clinical Updates — RAD has advanced several clinical programs which include RAD 101 with the first dose expected in Q4 2024.
  • Collaborations with Leading Industry Players — RAD has increased its ownership in Radiopharm Ventures to 75 percent from 51 percent.
  • NASDAQ Listing Expected YE 2024 — RAD is progressing toward a secondary listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market by the end of 2024.
  • Cash Runway Into June 2026 — In June 2024, RAD announced a capital raise of AU$70 million (USD $47million)

For the full analyst report, click here.

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This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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ISLA-101 Phase 2a/b PROTECT Clinical Trial Progress Update

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Australian antiviral drug development company, Island Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: ILA; Island or the Company) is pleased to announce progress on its ISLA-101 Phase 2a/b clinical trial in dengue fever.

  • All key data samples have been collected following dosing of all subjects in the Phase 2a (prophylactic) trial as part of Island’s ISLA-101 Phase 2a/b PROTECT clinical trial in dengue fever
  • Data currently being consolidated for review by the Safety Review Committee (SRC) in the coming weeks
  • On track to release SRC recommendation on advancing the trial to Phase 2b by end of this calendar year
In Island’s Phase 2a trial, subjects receive ISLA-101 before being infected with a weakened dengue virus developed by the US Army. The trial aims to assess whether ISLA-101 can prevent or reduce viremia and symptoms compared to a placebo, based on previous control data showing elevated viremia and symptoms in untreated subjects.

Following the announcement (ASX: 3 October 2024) that all subjects in the Phase 2a cohort of the trial had been dosed, Island confirms it has now collected the required samples to analyse how the viremia (viral load) levels in the blood of trial subjects have changed through the study. Other samples are being analysed for pharmacokinetic data as well as other blood analyses.

This data is currently being consolidated for review by the Safety Review Committee (SRC), who will meet in the coming weeks. The SRC will evaluate the safety of ISLA-101 in dengue infected individuals and consider if there is evidence of anti-dengue activity. They will then make a recommendation regarding advancing the trial to the Phase 2b cohort before the end of the calendar year.

Island’s CEO and Managing Director, Dr David Foster commented, “We are very pleased to be able to report that 46 days into the trial, we’ve collected the key data required for evaluation by the Safety Review Committee. From here, while we will continue to check in with patients up to 90 days post dosing, we look forward to providing all the data to the SRC for evaluation in the coming weeks. Importantly, this means we remain on track to report data before the end of the year from our Phase 2a component, and next steps for the Phase 2b cohort before the end of the year.”

Phase 2b will include 10 subjects randomised 8:2 (active: placebo) and will examine if ISLA-101 has activity as a treatment against dengue infection. This is the first time a potential countermeasure to combat the dengue virus, which afflicts more than 400 million individuals a year and for which there is no therapeutic option, is being investigated as both a preventative and therapeutic measure.

To subscribe to Island’s monthly newsletter, IslandWatch, and other forms of email communications, please visit this page of our website.

Click here for the full ASX Release

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Spodumene Pegmatite Discovery at Esperança Project in Brazil Yields LIBS Results up to 4.04% Li2O

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Lightning Minerals (L1M or the Company) is delighted to announce the discovery of spodumene within a lithium bearing pegmatite at the Company’s recently acquired Esperança project. The discovery supports the Company’s approach to exploration in the district and its positive assessment of the prospectivity within the Lithium Valley region Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The discovery has been made during early-stage exploration programs which include project scale geological mapping, ground reconnaissance, and soil sampling. These early-stage programs remain ongoing with further results to come over the coming weeks. The discovery supports the Company’s exploration thesis and uplifts the remaining prospectivity across all three project areas: Canabrava, Caraíbas and Esperança projects.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Artisanal excavations reveal a lithium bearing pegmatite with elongate crystalline spodumene crystals up to 50cm in length
  • LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) results of spodumene crystals return up to 18,800 ppm Lithium, or 4.04% Li2O
  • Discovery provides walk up drill target for fully funded drilling campaign to begin Q1 2025
  • Soil sampling and geological mapping continues across the Esperança, Canabrava and Caraíbas projects with further results due over the coming weeks

Lightning Minerals Managing Director Alex Biggs said, “I am highly encouraged by these results from Brazil. As I have spoken about, as a team we are committed to discovery and completing our works in a diligent and structured manner, the proof of which is in these results. The Company is progressing its projects in Brazil quickly and cost effectively and generating significant results for the business which we feel will be transformational. I am proud of and congratulate our geology teams both in Australia and Brazil who have conducted themselves in a professional and astute manner which has been crucial in making a discovery such as this. This is a great first step for us in Brazil and is testament to the prospectivity of the region as I have discussed previously. We look forward to drilling in Q1 2025 and further results to come imminently from all three project areas in Brazil. I would also like to thank our shareholders who have supported our vision and exploration strategy. As a Company we are firmly committed to the lithium thematic and firmly committed to Brazil where we see significant potential moving forwards”.

Lithium Discovery at Esperança Project

During geological mapping fieldwork conducted in mid-November 2024 field geologists encountered a previously unknown historical artisanal mine within the Esperança project area. The site presented with a small access which opened into a set of sub vertical shafts sunk several meters into schists of the Salinas formation. Upon investigation the geology team has discovered pegmatitic lithologies in the walls of the excavations, of which the suite of minerals indicates inclusion of macro crystalline (up to 50cm) elongate crystals of spodumene as shown in Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b).

The Company’s geologists have collected selective mineral specimen grab samples in sample VLM207 (Figure 2). Six separate minerals have been analysed via a SciAps Z-903 hand-held LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) device which has returned lithium endowment of up to 18,800 ppm lithium, which equates to a lithium oxide percentage of 4.04% Li2O.

The SciAps Z-903 handheld LIBS device is considered a qualitative analysis technique only and is used as an in-field preliminary check to establish if a mineral is lithium-bearing. Certified laboratory assays are required to provide accurate, quantitative analysis. A table of the six SciAps Z-903 handheld LIBS results testing the spodumene crystals is shown in Table 1. A full table of results are presented in Appendix 2, Table 2.

While the current field observations indicate that the mineral identified is a lithium-bearing mineral, the percentage of lithium produced from the LIBS analyser does not correlate to an accurate quantitative measurement of the lithium concentration of the mineral itself, or to the overall grade of the pegmatite.

Click here for the full ASX Release

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Gunnison Releases PEA for Arizona Copper Project, Plans for Open-pit, Heap-leach Operation

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Gunnison Copper (TSX:GCU,OTCQB:EXMGF) is shifting its development strategy for the Gunnison copper project in Arizona, US, laying out plans for a conventional open-pit and heap-leach operation.

In a preliminary economic assessment (PEA), released on Thursday (November 14), the company explains that it is targeting the production of finished copper cathode for domestic consumption.

The PEA outlines an after-tax net present value of US$1.3 billion at an 8 percent discount, and an internal rate of return of 20.9 percent based on a long-term copper price of US$4.10 per pound.

Over its entire planned 18 year mine life, Gunnison is expected to produce 2,712 million pounds of copper cathode at an average cash cost of US$1.42 per pound and a sustaining cash cost of US$1.94 per pound. The estimated initial capital cost for the operation is US$1.3 billion, with an after-tax payback period of 4.1 years.

The company plans to develop the site as a vertically integrated operation, focusing on cost efficiency and environmental management. The PEA further states that the open-pit design will eliminate the need for tailings storage and will use less water per pound of copper compared to traditional concentrate production methods.

Gunnison will integrate an on-site sulfuric acid plant, generating 27 megawatts of clean energy.

Originally designed as an in-situ recovery (ISR) project, the decision to shift stems from advancements in sulfide leaching technologies and the potential for higher copper extraction rates through heap leaching.

The company retains the option to revert to an ISR operation if future circumstances warrant.

The Gunnison project is projected to contribute significantly to the local economy, with over US$840 million in taxes paid to federal, state and local governments, in addition to the creation of more than 650 local jobs.

Partnerships with community institutions are planned to provide training and support to local residents.

Based on the PEA results, Gunnison has been recommended to complete a prefeasibility study (PFS) for the open-pit project. This process is expected to take 18 months. Further drilling for mine planning purposes is also recommended, as are updates to the design of the acid plant. The company has also been advised to plan for infrastructure developments, including the addition of a rail spur to the Union Pacific Railroad and the relocation of Interstate 10.

The company has allocated a budget for these activities as part of its roadmap forward.

Gunnison, which recently changed its name from Excelsior Mining, emphasized the project’s role in supporting the US copper supply chain and highlighted its economic and operational feasibility.

In addition to the Gunnison project, the company also holds the past-producing Johnson Camp mine and additional exploration sites in Cochise County, Arizona. The Johnson Camp mine, in partnership with Nuton, a venture from major miner Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), is expected to resume production in 2025.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Netanyahu aide leaked classified document to influence public opinion on hostage negotiations, court says

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An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have leaked classified information to foreign press in the hopes of influencing public opinion on hostage negotiations, according to a court release published Sunday.

Eliezer Feldstein was arrested earlier this month for allegedly leaking “classified and sensitive intelligence information,” according to court documents. Sunday’s court release outlines more of the details surrounding this alleged leak.

According to the magistrate’s court of Rishon Lezion, the leak began when a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in the Israeli military reserves took a “highly sensitive and classified document” from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In April this year, the NCO sent a copy of the document to Feldstein, who distributed it to Israeli media outlets in September “with the aim of influencing public opinion on the ongoing negotiations concerning the hostages,” the court release said.

This came shortly after the Israeli military announced on September 1 that six Israeli hostages were killed in Gaza. Four of them were due to be released in the first wave of a potential deal.

Israeli media outlets were prevented from publishing articles related to the leaked document by the country’s censorship authorities, the court release said, so Feldstein “decided to bypass censorship and publish the document in foreign media.”

Two articles published in September, one in the United Kingdom’s Jewish Chronicle and another in Germany’s Bild, included information related to the leaks. Both cited Israeli intelligence sources and supported a narrative being pushed by Netanyahu at the time.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz – who quit Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet earlier this year – seized on the alleged leaks as a failure at the very top of government, with Gantz calling it a “national crime.”

Both blamed Netanyahu’s office for the leak, with Gantz accusing Netanyahu of leveraging the leaks for political gains.

A spokesperson for Netanyahu denied earlier this month that there were leaks from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), and said that the “person in question never participated in security-related discussions,” apparently referring to Feldstein.

The PMO also downplayed the possibility that the leak impacted negotiations with Hamas over the release of hostages from Gaza, calling the claim “ridiculous.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Biden’s green light for Ukraine to use ATACMS in Russia just raised the stakes in a war Trump will inherit

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The decision by US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to use long-range American missiles in Russia follows a familiar pattern.

The White House refuses for months to grant a weapons request from Ukraine, fearing it would be escalatory. Kyiv loudly decries the refusal, and just when the request seems to have been parked, the Biden administration approves it.

Ukraine’s request for HIMARS, Abrams tanks, F16s – all followed a similar pattern of refuse and prevaricate, and then grant, almost at the moment when it is too late.

Is it too late for the US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, to make a difference if it hits targets deep inside Russia?

The answer is complex and perhaps explains some of the reluctance of the Biden administration to grant permission.

Firstly, there is a limited supply of ATACMS that Ukraine can get its hands on. So even Kyiv being able to hit deep inside Russia – and the longer range of ATACMS is 100km or 62 miles – is not going to yield an overnight change in the battlefield.

Analysts have listed the volume of Russian targets that are in range of these missiles – with the Institute for the Study of War listing hundreds of targets – after the Biden administration apparently briefed that Russian airfields in ATACMS range had seen their attack aircraft evacuated deeper inside Russia.

But really, Ukraine will not get enough ATACMS to alter the course of the war.

Secondly, Ukraine has been able to penetrate deeper inside Russia using domestically manufactured and cheaper drones. The United States has agreed to help fund the development of these devices, which appear to have caused havoc around Moscow’s airports and across Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Thirdly, the permission to use US precision missiles to hit deeper inside Russia is, as it sounds, quite provocative.

It is true that Moscow is quite militarily weak now, and unlikely to seek full conflict with NATO or the US.

But at some point, the Kremlin will seek to restore its deterrence. Moscow’s intelligence services have been blamed for sabotage of civilian targets across Europe, including recent reports that explosive packages were planted on courier planes inside Europe.

The Biden administration was correct to weigh the practical utility of longer range strikes, against the potential for civilian collateral damage in NATO member states, if Russia felt obliged to somehow hit back.

So it was not as simple or obvious decision as some advocates in Kyiv claimed. The wider goal seems to have been to get the Biden administration to put more skin in the game of Ukraine’s war – to truly takes the gloves off.

Yet the White House is keen to stress the deployment of North Korean troops into Kursk fueled its decision – that this is the US’ response to Moscow’s escalation.

Western officials have noted the North Korean deployment represents the Ukraine conflict expanding and becoming something that the United States’ Indo-Pacific adversaries now have a role in; that it has made the war slightly more global for America.

In Biden’s eyes this is an escalation, in response to an escalation.

But the fact he delayed so long because of the extraordinary symbolism of granting this permission just adds to the potency of the decision he just took.

President-elect Donald Trump may think he can talk peace, but he will inherit a war where the stakes have just got significantly higher.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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India’s successful test of hypersonic missile puts it among elite group

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India has successfully tested a domestically developed long-range hypersonic missile, it said on Sunday, attaining a key milestone in military development that puts it in a small group of nations possessing the advanced technology.

The global push for hypersonic weapons figures in the efforts of some countries, such as India, which is striving to develop advanced long-range missiles, along with China, Russia and the United States.

The Indian missile, developed by the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation and industry partners, is designed to carry payloads for ranges exceeding 1,500 km (930 miles) for the armed forces, the government said in a statement.

“The flight data … confirmed the successful terminal maneuvers and impact with high degree of accuracy,” it added.

The test-firing took place from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the eastern coast of Odisha state on Saturday, it said.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh called the test a “historic achievement” in a post on X, adding that it placed India among a select group of nations possessing such critical and advanced technologies.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Australia police charge former radio show host Alan Jones with assault

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Australian police on Monday charged former radio show host Alan Jones with 24 assault and sexual touching offenses, indictments that followed accusations in a newspaper that Jones had assaulted young men for decades.

Police confirmed the arrest and charges against an 83-year-old man in Sydney but did not name him.

He was widely identified by Australian media as Alan Jones and TV footage on Monday showed him in a police car arriving at a police station.

Police allege the offenses took place between 2001 and 2019 against 8 victims, some of whom Jones knew professionally or personally. The youngest was 17 at the time of the offense, they said.

More alleged victims are likely to come forward now charges have been laid, New South Wales police assistant commissioner Michael Fitzgerald told a press conference.

Reuters has sought comment from Jones. He denied the assault allegations made against him last year by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. Police said the “energy” generated by the stories had helped bring the case to court.

Jones had hosted radio shows for decades and anchored the popular Sydney breakfast show on radio station 2GB for about 18 years until 2020.

A well-known conservative “shock jock,” listeners knew Jones for his sharp questions and equally sharp tongue. In 2019, he said then Prime Minister Scott Morrison should give his then New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern a “few backhanders” and “shove a sock down her throat” because of her views on climate change.

Jones has faced defamation lawsuits many times. After leaving 2GB, he worked at a digital start-up, but had been off the air since the Sydney Morning Herald allegations were made.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Burglars break into Windsor Castle estate and steal farm vehicles

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Thieves broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle and stole two vehicles from royal land, police said, in a major breach of security.

Police said the burglary was reported at around 11:45 p.m. (6:45 p.m. ET) and that the perpetrators entered a farm building on royal land. The suspects “made off with a black Izuzu pickup and a red quad bike,” the police statement said, adding that no arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing.

The Sun reported that two masked men scaled a 6 ft (1.83 meter) fence to enter the Crown Estate land, then used the stolen truck to smash through a security gate and flee the scene.

Though Windsor Castle is one of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s residences, the pair were not staying at the castle at the time of the reported burglary. Charles was in Scotland and didn’t return to London until the following day.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children live at Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom Grade II listed house which is also in the grounds of Windsor Castle, and would likely have been at home on the night of the security breach.

On Christmas Day 2021, a man broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow in an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II, who was in the royal residence at the time.

The late Queen was unharmed, although the intrusion sparked serious questions about palace security, especially when it emerged that her repeated attempts to summon help were ignored.

Jaswant Singh Chail, who was 19 when he attempted to kill the Queen, was sentenced to nine years in jail in 2023.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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