Michael Philipps

A pancreatic cancer treatment developed by ASX-listed Radiopharm Theranostics has been granted crucial orphan drug designation by the United States Food and Drug Administration just weeks before clinical trials begin. The approval is for the company’s patented RAD301 integrin technology that aims to assist with the imaging and treatment of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

ASX-listed Aurumin is set to continue its search for lithium at its Mt Palmer project in the Goldfields after being named a successful applicant for the WA Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme. The explorer has executed an agreement with the Department of Mining, Industry Regulation and Safety, through its subsidiary Aurumin Mt Palmer, to receive up to $150,000 in direct drilling and mobilisation costs.

Infinity Mining is gearing up for its first East Pilbara drill campaign for 2023 after receiving cultural heritage clearance from the Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation to explore its Hillside nickel-copper project. The company has appointed iDrilling Australia to kick off a nine-hole RC program to test surface geochemistry and anomalies highlighted in a 2018 air-borne electromagnetic survey.

Smart home technology company Zimi has produced an impressive March quarter to generate more value in receipts from customers in the the last three months than in the combined amount from its previous two reporting periods. The company collected $464,000 in customer receipts in the quarter, compared to a combined $308,000 from the entire first half of the financial year, according to its latest quarterly report.

Ora Banda Mining has seen a mined gold grade increase of more than 50 per cent at its operations to 2.5 grams per tonne over the March quarter compared to an average of 1.7 g/t gold in the previous six months. The significant grade increase caps a solid three months for the company that also included an almost 5 per cent increase in gold produced with a total of 12,310 ounces against 11,803 ounces in the December quarter and 11,720 ounces through the September quarter.

Venus Metals Corporation has gained a boost to exploration plans for its Marvel Loch East rare earths project after its subsidiary Redscope Enterprises scored a co-funded drilling grant from the WA Government. The Exploration Incentive Scheme funding will contribute 50 per cent of direct drilling and mobilisation costs, with Redscope successfully applying for a maximum amount of $157,500 to explore the project near Southern Cross.

Javelin Minerals has highlighted positive rare earths results from a comprehensive sampling program at its Mt Ida-Ida Valley project near Leonora, with assays of up to 0.11 per cent total rare earth oxides. The company has collected 680 orientation samples from selected tenements at the operation, with the positive rare earth assays taken from the Turkey Creek kimberlite province in WA’s Goldfields region.

Infinity Mining says it has uncovered a “lithium-rich system” during a maiden scout drilling program at its Tambourah South project in the Pilbara, with more than 50 samples returning results above 0.2 per cent lithium oxide. Highlights include a 4m hit at 0.573 per cent lithium oxide from 32m, while the widest section showed a 9m intercept going 0.332 per cent lithium oxide from surface.

Godolphin Resources has set a maiden JORC 2012-compliant mineral resource at its Narraburra rare earth project in NSW, with a massive 126 per cent increase in resource grade compared to its previous JORC 2004 estimate. The updated estimate sits at 94.4 million tonnes at 739 parts per million total rare earth oxides, with 50 per cent of the resource now defined in the indicated category.