The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.44 per cent to 8,744.90 at 12.08pm AEDT on Tuesday, following mixed trading on Wall Street overnight, where US chipmakers came under selling pressure. Despite the broader decline, five of the 11 sectors were trading higher, led by energy and utilities. Materials and technology recorded the steepest losses, reversing gains from the previous session.
In small cap company news,
Orthocell reports encouraging early results in prostate cancer surgery
Orthocell (ASX:OCC) has reported encouraging early clinical results for its Remplir nerve repair device in patients undergoing robotic prostate cancer surgery. In an initial five-patient case series, 80 per cent demonstrated encouraging urinary control outcomes, while three of the four patients with erectile function before surgery showed some return of function with treatment after 12 months. No Remplir-related complications were reported during approximately 12 months of follow-up. More than 300 prostatectomy procedures using Remplir have now been completed in Australia. Orthocell plans to conduct a larger clinical study to support wider adoption, particularly in the United States, where the device already holds regulatory clearance. The initial findings remain preliminary due to the small number of patients.
WA Gold identifies four kilometres of new exploration targets at Bullabulling
WA Gold (ASX:WAU) has identified nine geophysical anomalies covering more than four kilometres of combined strike length at its Bullabulling North Project, approximately 30 kilometres west of Coolgardie in Western Australia. The targets were identified through a high-resolution ground survey and are located along geological structures considered prospective for gold mineralisation. Several coincide with or extend from areas where earlier shallow drilling returned low-level gold results, including four metres at 0.25 grams per tonne gold. WA Gold will combine the survey findings with existing drilling and geological data to prioritise targets for its next exploration program. Further drilling is required to determine whether the anomalies contain significant gold mineralisation.
PainChek expands US aged care contracts to 23 communities
PainChek (ASX:PCK) has expanded its commercial agreement with US healthcare property group Sabra Health Care REIT, increasing its contracted presence from two to 23 aged care communities across five operators. The expansion covers 808 licences for its AI-assisted pain assessment technology, which helps care providers assess pain in residents who have difficulty communicating. PainChek is targeting implementation, staff training and licence activation across the communities by the end of December 2026, with the aim of converting the contracts into annual recurring revenue. The company is focusing its US growth strategy on assisted living and memory care, a market it estimates represents approximately 1.2 million potential licences and A$100 million in addressable market value.
Piche Resources identifies new gold and silver targets in Argentina
Piche Resources (ASX:PR2) has reported new gold and silver exploration results from its Cerro Chacón Project in Argentina’s Patagonia region. A program involving 603 rock-chip samples returned grades of up to 10.41 grams per tonne gold and 553.42 grams per tonne silver from separate samples. Geological mapping also identified previously unrecognised mineralised structures, including the Jose Vein, which extends for at least two kilometres and reaches widths of up to six metres. The results support the company’s interpretation of a larger gold and silver-bearing system extending across the Toro Hosco prospect area. Piche is assessing further exploration work, potentially including additional sampling, geophysical surveys and drilling to test mineralisation at depth.
CurveBeam AI receives Chinese approval for medical imaging system
CurveBeam AI (ASX:CVB) has received regulatory approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration for its HiRise weight-bearing CT imaging system, allowing commercial sales to commence in the Chinese market. The approval advances the company’s 10-year strategic partnership with Shandong WeiYing Intelligent Medical Technology, which covers distribution, marketing and potential local manufacturing. It also triggers a further A$1 million equity investment from its Chinese partner at 40.5 cents per share, with the timing of the placement yet to be confirmed. The HiRise system provides three-dimensional imaging of the lower limbs under weight-bearing conditions to support orthopaedic assessment and surgical planning. CurveBeam and its partner will now focus on launching the product, developing customer relationships and expanding distribution across China.
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