IRLAB Therapeutics - New mesdopetam patent strengthens IP portfolio

IRLAB Therapeutics has been granted a new patent in Europe for its lead asset, Phase-III ready mesdopetam, which potentially extends its market exclusivity beyond the previous 2037 expiry. The updated patent relates to a new salt of the drug (which has been used during the ongoing clinical development) and the process for its preparation, extending protection to 2040. Mesdopetam is IRLAB’s most advanced asset, targeting levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson’s disease (PD-LIDs), a debilitating condition inflicting over 30% of the PD patient population. Following IRLAB’s successful end-of-Ph...

Q2 report: IRL757 on the way

Utilico Emerging Markets Trust - Market not reflecting very strong fundamentals

Utilico Emerging Markets Trust (UEM) is managed by Charles Jillings, at specialist value-based investor ICM. He reports that, operationally, the trust’s investee companies are performing extraordinarily well, although this is not being reflected in the market. The manager suggests that investors have multiple distractions including concerns about a US recession, the US presidential election and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. UEM’s investments in infrastructure and utility assets ensure the fund has a consistently low beta. The use of gearing has resumed following the arrangement of a new...

Pan American Silver - Strong reserves replacement rates for key assets

Pan American Silver (PAAS) has released its annual mineral reserves and resources statement. While the overall reserves and resources have fallen compared to 2023 due to the asset divestments, on an adjusted basis the company has fully replaced its proven and probable (P&P) reserves and reported a significant increase in measured and indicated (M&I) resources in the silver segment. The gold segment has seen a visible boost to its inferred resource due to exploration work at Jacobina, which has also seen a healthy increase in its P&P reserves despite maintaining flat M&I resources over the year...

discoverIE Group - Moving into the next growth phase

discoverIE’s first capital markets day (CMD) in six years was an opportunity for the group to recap how via its buy-and-build strategy it has successfully grown the company from a market cap of £25m in 2009 to £592m today, while transforming the business from an electronics distributor to a pure-play specialist electronics design and manufacture company. Management also outlined how it expects to drive future growth and profitability. New at the CMD was the announcement of an additional target market, security. As the group has matured, it has put in place structures and processes to maximise ...