Traders Cafe with Zak Mir: Altus Strategies, Cambridge Cognition, Cloudbreak, Coinsilium, Genedrive, IronRidge, Sareum, Valereum, Zoetic

Specialist drug development company Sareum (SAR) announced top-line results from its UKRI grant funded Covid-19 research project. The results of the project found that SDC-1801 reduced the levels of cytokines associated with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in human lung cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrated a profile that was superior to the anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone and similar to baricitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor.

Near patient molecular diagnostics company Genedrive (GDR) provided an update on the development of its Genedrive® COV19-ID Kit, a rapid Point of Care (PoC) molecular test for SARS-CoV-2 detection, designed for the company's Genedrive® instrument. The company said it has overcome significant technical hurdles and also further improved performance specifications alongside evolving marketplace requirements. Gendrive said key specifications of sensitivity, specificity, speed, ease of use, and scalability have all been improved or addressed.

IronRidge Resources (IRR) said that it has entered into a conditional binding agreement with Piedmont Lithium, a Nasdaq listed lithium exploration and development company, to fully fund and fast track the Ewoyaa Lithium Project, part of the Company's Ghanaian Cape Coast Lithium Portfolio to production for $102m. IronRidge CEO Vincent Mascolo said that this pathway to production transaction removes funding risks for IronRidge and its shareholders at a time where surety of supply to the enormous and rapidly growing North American EV and stored energy industry sectors is paramount.

One of the stock market’s recent sharp risers have been Cambridge Cognition (COG), a company which develops and markets digital solutions to assess brain health. It announced the completion of the spin-out of Monument Therapeutics, a drug development company applying digital phenotyping to central nervous system disorders. Cambridge Cognition has been incubating Monument Therapeutics since 2018, which has a pipeline of promising drug development programmes, with the most advanced two being for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and for post-operative cognitive dysfunction.

International CBD group Zoetic (ZOE) delivered an update on its operations. This included the launch of the thechillwayuk website, coinciding with the launch of Chill CBD smokes in the UK market; Zoetic also announced the acquisition of the Chill.com website domain has been completed. There have also been further sales to the company's US distributor of US$0.72 million for 'Chill' brand CBD smokes and chews to facilitate re-orders and the continued roll out of the products.

Copper and gold producer, explorer and developer, Rambler Metals (RMM) said that it has executed an agreement for the unsecured, subordinated convertible note agreement for up to $30 million with institutional investors including Riverfort Global Opportunities (RGO). The company has requested the initial advance of US$2.0 million today and expects to receive this shortly. Altus Strategies (ALS) revealed the discovery of high-grade copper and silver from reconnaissance exploration at the Company's recently granted Azrar, Izougza and Tata projects. The Projects, which total 252 km2, are located in the western Anti-Atlas of the Kingdom of Morocco and are held by the company's 100% owned subsidiary Aterian Resources Limited.

Natural resource project generator, Cloudbreak Discovery (CDL) said that Imperial Helium Corp of which Cloudbreak owns 1.25%, has started lease and road construction at the Steveville Helium Property, in South Eastern Alberta, Canada. Additionally, Imperial has received all required permits and approvals to commence drilling operations as soon as practicable. The initial well is anticipated to be drilled to a depth of 2,047 metres on the crest of the Steveville structure. The objective of the first well is to confirm helium concentrations and flow rates established during the historic blow-out that occurred in 1940.

On the Aquis market digital assets group Coinsilium (COIN) announced its final results for the year ended 31 December 2020. The net fair value gain on financial assets in 2020 was £565,713 compared to a gain of £572,805 in 2019. Total Comprehensive Gain of £661,139 compared to a loss of £106,378 in 2019. The company said that since the period end, significant progress has been made to consolidate Coinsilium's position within the NFT and Open Finance spaces.

Also on the Aquis market, and one of its best performers so far this year, was news from Valereum Blockchain (VLRM). The Gibraltar based blockchain technology builder said that it has completed the £1 million placing at 70p per share, which was announced on 21 June 2021. After an initial wobble on the fund raise, the stock has bounced back ahead of further developments in its “Bridge” strategy, a financial NFT platform, and ahead of confirmation of an OTCQB listing in the United States.