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Proactive news summary: Nanobiotix, dotDigital, Eland Oil & Gas and Oilex

Last updated: 10:51 11 Feb 2014 EST, First published: 11:51 11 Feb 2014 EST

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It was a mixed newsbag on Tuesday, with Nanobiotix (EPA:NANO) catching some of the headlines.

Shares doubled after the group, which is aiming to transform radiotherapy using nanotechnology, said its lead product is headed for an earlier than expected launch.

The change in timetable followed an encouraging pilot study.

The company revealed that NBTXR3 to combat soft tissue sarcoma (STS), a cancer of the body’s supporting tissue such as fat, muscle and nerves, could be CE marked as early as 2016.

Previously analysts had expected this to occur in 2017.

The shares, which hit 14 euros earlier in the session, were up 5.15 euros, or 66%, at 12.95 euros by midday. In the year to date the stock has motored almost 150% to value the business at 138mln euros.

Elsewhere, in tech world, the first half of the financial year for email marketing software specialist dotDigital (LON:DOTD) was a strong one, with sales and profits advancing briskly.

Revenues from continuing operations in the six months to the end of December were up 32.5% to £7.6mln from £5.7mln in the corresponding period of 2012.

Monthly recurring revenues from dotMailer's software as a service (SaaS) platform jumped 29% to £5.8mln.

Group operating profit before tax and exceptional items was up 17.8% to £2.1mln from £1.8mln a year earlier.

Profit before tax in the core dotMailer email marketing & marketing automation software division grew by 17.4% to £2.6mln.

To oil stocks and Eland Oil & Gas (LON:ELA) has announced that executive technical director Gilles Krijger is to step down from his position.

Krijger will, however, remain with the company in a senior technical position.

Additionally, Eland also announced that non-executive director James Ede-Golightly will leave the company to pursue other business interests.

Oilex (LON:OEX) shares advanced after the company told investors it had taken a positive step forward in its negotiations with Sumatera Persada Energi (SPE).

In a stock market statement Oilex said that it has received another good faith payment from SPE.

The payment represents a significant step forward in ongoing negotiations to reach an amicable commercial settlement, following a US$4.8mln award by the International Court of Arbitration relating to West Kampar.

Meanwhile, Max Petroleum (LON:MXP) unveiled a 40% increase in proved and probable (2P) reserves for the Sagiz West field, in Kazakhstan.

The revision comes after four appraisal wells were drilled last year – two of which were unsuccessful - and it gives the field 2.2mln barrels of oil 2P reserves.

The 3P figure, which also includes ‘possible’ barrels, increased 30% to just over 3mln barrels.

Onshore UK oil and gas firm Egdon Resources (LON:EDR) has raised £3mln ahead of drilling work getting underway in the East Midlands.

It is issuing 12mln new shares, priced at 25p each, and these new shares represent around 8.29% of the group’s enlarged share capital.

The company has been in the spotlight in recent weeks due to high profile deals with French major Total, which has acquired interests in the group’s shale projects.

Upcoming drilling will be focused on conventional oil targets, however, with wells on the Burton on the Wolds and Wressle prospects in the initial programmes.

Kea Petroleum (LON:KEA) shares climbed almost 5% as the company confirmed that the final stages of due diligence are ongoing for the proposed farm-out of the Puka field.

The process is expected to reach a conclusion during the current quarter, the company said.

Chaarat Gold Holdings (LON:CGH) said executive director Alexander Novak bought 1.3mln shares in the exploration and development company on February 6 at 10p each, taking his interest to 4.9%.

The share acquisition came three days after Richard Rae, a newly appointed non-executive director, had purchased 200,000 shares for 9.7p per share.

As a result, Chaarat's directors now hold 13.7% of the group's shares.

Australian Strategic Materials signs US$600 million LoI

Rowena Smith, CEO and managing director of Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX:ASM, OTC:ASMMF), joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss the company’ s Dubbo Project, in Central West New South Wales. This project aims to extract and process critical minerals and rare earth...

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