Public Company News

ASX-listed medical cannabis player MGC Pharmaceuticals is set to achieve a major commercial milestone as it edges closer to getting the final green light for its European medical marijuana facility. The company expects to receive official approval for the Slovenian facility this month after being granted an interim licence in January, bringing an 18-month approvals process near to completion.

Auroch Minerals is targeting large-scale zinc, lead, copper and cobalt deposits in a metals-rich region in South Australia after snapping up two high-grade projects that have not been subjected to any modern exploration. The Arden project near Quorn in the Flinders Ranges and the Bonaventura Zinc project on Kangaroo Island have historical drill hits of up to 26.9% zinc and 2.5% cobalt.

ASX-listed biotech Phylogica has achieved a medical milestone on its journey to developing a biological organism that is capable of carrying or “transporting” cancer fighting and other drugs directly inside the nucleus of a diseased cell. The Perth biotech said in a market update that it had successfully delivered a new “proof of concept cargo” known as “Cre” into kidney cells in the laboratory.

High purity vanadium is being tipped for greatness as a revolutionary force in battery storage of renewable energy. Perth’s King River Copper may well have the largest and highest purity in-ground resource in the world in W.A. Last week the company proved it could produce the holy grail of purity levels at 99.5%, placing it amongst elite company around the world.

Shares in Perth-based carbon plantation manager Alterra spiked 30 per cent last week after the company revealed its agro-forestry projects in Western Australia are set to deliver $23 million in revenues over the next decade and that it remains in a strong financial position, with $2.5 million cash in the bank and $2.6m in real property that is also generating valuable rent for the business.

A leading Perth broker has set a big price target for Altech Chemicals as it enters the home straight in its quest to become the world’s biggest manufacturer of in-demand high purity alumina. DJ Carmichael has set a target more than double Altech’s current price, after weighing up the benefits of securing a US$170 million debt package that was guaranteed by the German Government.

DroneShield has secured $210,000 worth of purchase orders for its drone-combating products from European distributors, ForcePro. DroneShield says the products will be used to set up a Netherlands' demonstration hub for the company’s cutting edge anti-drone products, where the NATO Joint Force is headquartered. DroneShields’ products can detect and disable aerial drones.

Whilst others are still furiously marching around the bush looking for lithium deposits, Lithium Australia has again jumped one step ahead of the market by raising $18m to fund two plants – one to make lithium-ion battery chemicals and another to make cathodes. The company has raised $18m with a con note issue to underwrite its evolution into a vertically integrated lithium processing business.

An exploration review of the lease containing Myanmar Metals’ historic zinc-lead-copper mine near the Chinese border has confirmed a number of remarkable opportunities, including at least 30 gossan outcrops with similarities to the original gossans above the known lodes. The report comes just before Myanmar releases first assays from a maiden drilling program at the project.

CVCheck has reported solid growth for the December half, with revenues up 16 per cent to $5.8 million due to surging corporate demand and its strongly performing New Zealand operations. Impressive cost control at the ASX junior has also resulted in a 27% drop in general expenses and a 12% drop in employment expenses as the company races towards the magical breakeven point.

A small copper mine acquired by Hot Chili within trucking distance of its Productora development looks like it could be sitting on a much bigger, higher grade copper deposit than previously thought. Small-scale lease mining in recent weeks produced 16.3 tonnes of ore at 5.24% copper from depths of less than 15 metres and has extended the strike length of high-grade, shallow copper to 1km.

Queensland Police will use ASX-listed DroneShield’s sci-fi looking drone combatting rifles at the Commonwealth games to protect athletes from potentially lethal aerial intruders. In other developments DroneShield has applauded the Australian Government’s efforts to stimulate defence industry manufacturing and exports by adopting an innovative new Defence Export Strategy policy.