Proactive - Interviews for investors

The FTSE 100 has opened flat, with the largest gain coming from multinational consumer goods heavyweight Unilever. The company lifted more than 5% in early trading after launching plans to sack 7,500 workers as part of an overhaul of its ice cream business.

Over in the pharmaceutical industry, AstraZeneca revealed its intention to buy oncology group Fusion for £1.9 billion, a nearly 125% premium to the US-listed group’s closing price on Monday.

Close Brothers soared close to 10% after it unveiled saving measures, including the freezing of its dividend, to ensure it has £400 million in capital to deal with an FCA review into unfair car loans.

Early risers include Reckitt Benckiser, which was up following a sharp fall on Friday after it was ordered to pay US$60 million in damages as part of a baby formula case.

In macro news, Japan was the first of the leading economies to jig its interest rates in this month’s meeting, rising from -0.1% to 0%. Both the UK and US central banks are due to meet this week to discuss rates but the two are expected to keep them unchanged.

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Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:RCE) CEO James Graham joins Proactive to talk through significant progress in the journey of RECCE® 327 (R327) for treating urinary tract infections (UTI) and urosepsis. The company has completed dosing in its Phase 1/2 clinical trial, which focused on evaluating R327's safety and pharmacokinetics at fast infusion rates.

Following the completion of this phase of the trial, an independent safety committee will assess the data. This analysis is crucial for advancing to the next phase of research.

Recruitment has already started for the subsequent cohort, aiming to further investigate R327's effects and prepare for an efficacy trial. The ongoing studies are stepping stones towards potentially establishing R327 as a frontline treatment for UTI and urosepsis. Recce is now not far from transitioning into an efficacy trial.

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Managing director of Chariot Corp Ltd (ASX:CC9) Shanthar Pathmanathan joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss the company's ventures in the Wyoming lithium scene. With the largest landholding in the region, Pathmanathan discusses the appeal of Wyoming as a lithium hotspot and the strategic move to increase the company's ownership interests in its Wyoming portfolio to 93.9%.

Exploring the recent expansion at the Black Mountain project, he highlights a significant increase in tenure by 206%, shedding light on the ongoing work and anticipated newsflow from this expansion. Pathmanathan also looks at the progress being made at the Resurgent Claystone Project, offering a comprehensive view of current activities and future expectations.

He shares his perspective on the current state of the lithium market, providing an investment case for Chariot Corporation's strategic positioning in the lithium sector.

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Elixir Energy Ltd (ASX:EXR) managing director Neil Young sits down with Proactive’s Jonathan Jackson to discuss the significant strides the company is making in de-risking its gas projects in Queensland and Mongolia. Its Daydream-2 well at the Grandis Project in Queensland is set to undergo rigorous stimulation and flow testing activities, managed by Halliburton, through mid-year. This activity in the Taroom Trough is generating increasing interest in the gas sector.

In parallel, Elixir continues to progress its Nomgon Pilot Project in Mongolia. The focus remains on depressurising the gas-bearing coal reservoir, a crucial step achieved through the continuous extraction of water.

This dual-front approach underlines Elixir Energy's commitment to meeting its core de-risking objectives for both projects.

Celsius Resources Ltd (ASX:CLA, AIM:CLA) managing director Peter Hume tells Proactive's Stephen Gunnion the company has achieved a significant milestone by being granted a mining permit for the MCB project, marking a pivotal transition from exploration to mineral resource development.

This permit, valid for 25 years and renewable for a further 25, encompasses extensive exploration and development rights within the project area. The MCB project is located in the Philippines and is known for its high-grade copper porphyry, boasting an estimated resource of 300 million tonnes at an average grade of over 1% copper, alongside gold, for the first ten years of mining.

The project is set to implement sustainable mining practices, including a paste and hydraulic backfill and dry stacking methodology, due to its lack of acid mine drainage. The permit also delineates responsibilities for sustainable development and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects.

Following the permit's issuance, Hume said Celsius Resources will focus on compliance activities, securing financing from interested parties previously awaiting permit approval, and proceeding with detailed project planning and further permitting for construction activities.

Hume also discussed the promising outlook for copper prices, influenced by global environmental initiatives, forecasting a price range between $13,000 to $15,000 per tonne, though with a cautious perspective on the upper limits of market predictions.

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As it moves a step closer to a new drilling season, Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX:GAL) managing director Brad Underwood sits down with Jonathan Jackson to discuss the program and identified targets. The targets, identified through modelling of induced polarisation (IP) survey data, revealed strong chargeable anomalies near the notable Callisto nickel-palladium deposit. With drilling planned to start in late April, Galileo will test these anomalies for economic mineralisation, focusing on disseminated sulphide deposits similar to those found at Callisto. Underwood emphasised the strategic use of IP surveying and geological mapping in pinpointing these promising targets, reflecting the same rock sequence hosting the Callisto deposit.

On the brink of significantly upgrading the mineral resource estimate for its Kaiser deposit in the Northern Molong Porphyry Project in New South Wales, Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX:ALK) managing director Nic Earner takes Proactive’s Jonathan Jackson through the latest drilling results. Alkane has delivered the highest gold grades observed to date at the site.

Earner highlights the remarkable findings from the final 12,000-metre round of drilling, which confirmed the presence of high-grade sections and a 'Boda' style breccia, intensifying the deposit’s prospects.

With these results, Alkane is poised to release an updated Kaiser resource estimate in April, enhancing the already impressive Boda resource figures. Looking forward, the company is conducting a scoping study to assess the mining viability of both Boda and Kaiser, with results expected in the June quarter.

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OzAurum Resources Ltd (ASX:OZM) CEO and managing director Andrew Pumphrey sits down with Proactive’s Jonathan Jackson to discuss an upcoming drilling program at Boca Rica Lithium Project in Brazil, following the identification of a spodumene zone. The company plans to start drilling in the next three to four weeks, contingent on weather and the receipt of environmental permits.

Pumphrey emphasised the project's potential for a major lithium discovery, highlighting the strategic scale of the site and the comprehensive fieldwork conducted in Brazil.

Besides Boca Rica, OzAurum is actively pursuing other lithium opportunities and is engaged in discussions for additional acquisitions. The company also has interest in niobium and rare earth element (REE) opportunities in Brazil, and has lodged applications for 50,000 hectares of tenure prospective for niobium and REE near known Brazilian carbonatite complexes.

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Ionic Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:IXR) managing director Tim Harrison joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio as the company sets itself to become the first ASX-listed company to produce magnet rare earth oxides (REOs) from recycled wind turbines. Harrison highlights the company's journey towards becoming a major producer of recycled separated magnet REO, a milestone that positions IonicRE as a frontrunner in establishing a sustainable supply chain outside China.

IonicRE's innovative approach targets the recycling of permanent magnets from decommissioned wind turbines, a market that is rapidly expanding, particularly in Europe. The company's Belfast Demonstration Plant is making significant strides in magnet REO production, with a focus on the processing of NdPr/DyHo separation following the successful creation of mixed REO products.

In 2023, the European wind energy sector saw the decommissioning of 736 MW of power across nine countries, indicating a substantial opportunity for IonicRE's recycling initiative. With more than 3,000 wind turbines in Ireland alone, IonicRE is at the forefront of delivering a secure, clean and green supply chain, crucial for the wind farm industry and broader renewable energy sectors in achieving global decarbonisation goals.

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Xeris Biopharma CEO Paul Edick joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company had a successful 2023, with a final tally of 164 million USD, which is at the upper end of their forecast. The company concluded the year with 72 million USD in cash, surpassing their initial projections and achieving cash positivity in Q4.

Xeris Biopharma, described as a multifaceted entity with three commercial assets growing in 2023, also benefits from proprietary technologies and has partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies. The firm's recent financial achievements reflect the robustness of its underlying business, including ongoing partnerships.

A significant financial move for Xeris was a refinancing deal allowing the company to secure 200 million USD at the same cost previously paid for 150 million USD. This strategic financial restructuring not only reduced the company's total cost of capital by over 200 basis points but also added 35 million USD to its balance sheet, enhancing its self-sufficiency and obviating the need for external capital fundraising.

Looking ahead to 2024, Xeris anticipates revenue between 170 to 200 million USD, acknowledging a degree of uncertainty around factors such as competition for Keveyis. The company's guidance also includes ending the year with 55 to 75 million USD in cash, indicating controlled expenditure. Other 2024 expectations include the issuance of approximately 7.5 million shares under a contingent value right triggered in 2023 and progression in technology partnerships with companies like Amgen and Regeneron.

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