At least 36 shot dead near Gaza food site: hospital
The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time.
Gaza Strip resident Mohammed al-Khalidi said he was in the group approaching the site and heard no warnings before the firing began.
"We thought they came out to organise us so we can get aid, suddenly (I) saw the jeeps coming from one side, and the tanks from the other and started shooting at us," he said.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group which runs the aid site, said there were no incidents or fatalities there on Saturday and that it has repeatedly warned people not to travel to its distribution points in the dark.
"The reported IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometres away from the nearest GHF site," it said.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.
GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into the Gaza Strip, largely bypassing a United Nations-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians.
Hamas denies the accusation.
The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which GHF denies.
On Tuesday, the UN rights office in Geneva said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in the Gaza Strip - the majority of them close to GHF distribution points.
Most of those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military.
The military has acknowledged that civilians were harmed, saying that Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with "lessons learned".
At least 50 more people were killed in other Israeli attacks across the enclave on Saturday, health officials said, including one strike that killed the head of the Hamas-run police force in Nuseirat in the centre of the Gaza Strip and 11 of his family members.
The Israeli military said that it had struck militants' weapon depots and sniping posts in a few locations in the enclave.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people, mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in the strip has since killed about 58,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis, leaving much of the territory in ruins.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and a hostage deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, although there has been no sign of any imminent breakthrough.
At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped from his kibbutz home and is held by Hamas, urged Israel's leaders to make a deal with the militant group.
"An entire people wants to bring all 50 hostages home and end the war," Zangauker said in a statement outside Israel's defence headquarters in Tel Aviv.
"My Matan is alone in the tunnels," she said, "He has no more time".
At least 36 people have been killed by Israeli fire while they were on their way to an aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip at dawn, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time.
Gaza Strip resident Mohammed al-Khalidi said he was in the group approaching the site and heard no warnings before the firing began.
"We thought they came out to organise us so we can get aid, suddenly (I) saw the jeeps coming from one side, and the tanks from the other and started shooting at us," he said.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group which runs the aid site, said there were no incidents or fatalities there on Saturday and that it has repeatedly warned people not to travel to its distribution points in the dark.
"The reported IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometres away from the nearest GHF site," it said.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.
GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into the Gaza Strip, largely bypassing a United Nations-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians.
Hamas denies the accusation.
The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which GHF denies.
On Tuesday, the UN rights office in Geneva said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in the Gaza Strip - the majority of them close to GHF distribution points.
Most of those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military.
The military has acknowledged that civilians were harmed, saying that Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with "lessons learned".
At least 50 more people were killed in other Israeli attacks across the enclave on Saturday, health officials said, including one strike that killed the head of the Hamas-run police force in Nuseirat in the centre of the Gaza Strip and 11 of his family members.
The Israeli military said that it had struck militants' weapon depots and sniping posts in a few locations in the enclave.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people, mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in the strip has since killed about 58,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis, leaving much of the territory in ruins.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and a hostage deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, although there has been no sign of any imminent breakthrough.
At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped from his kibbutz home and is held by Hamas, urged Israel's leaders to make a deal with the militant group.
"An entire people wants to bring all 50 hostages home and end the war," Zangauker said in a statement outside Israel's defence headquarters in Tel Aviv.
"My Matan is alone in the tunnels," she said, "He has no more time".
At least 36 people have been killed by Israeli fire while they were on their way to an aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip at dawn, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time.
Gaza Strip resident Mohammed al-Khalidi said he was in the group approaching the site and heard no warnings before the firing began.
"We thought they came out to organise us so we can get aid, suddenly (I) saw the jeeps coming from one side, and the tanks from the other and started shooting at us," he said.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group which runs the aid site, said there were no incidents or fatalities there on Saturday and that it has repeatedly warned people not to travel to its distribution points in the dark.
"The reported IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometres away from the nearest GHF site," it said.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.
GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into the Gaza Strip, largely bypassing a United Nations-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians.
Hamas denies the accusation.
The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which GHF denies.
On Tuesday, the UN rights office in Geneva said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in the Gaza Strip - the majority of them close to GHF distribution points.
Most of those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military.
The military has acknowledged that civilians were harmed, saying that Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with "lessons learned".
At least 50 more people were killed in other Israeli attacks across the enclave on Saturday, health officials said, including one strike that killed the head of the Hamas-run police force in Nuseirat in the centre of the Gaza Strip and 11 of his family members.
The Israeli military said that it had struck militants' weapon depots and sniping posts in a few locations in the enclave.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people, mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in the strip has since killed about 58,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis, leaving much of the territory in ruins.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and a hostage deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, although there has been no sign of any imminent breakthrough.
At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped from his kibbutz home and is held by Hamas, urged Israel's leaders to make a deal with the militant group.
"An entire people wants to bring all 50 hostages home and end the war," Zangauker said in a statement outside Israel's defence headquarters in Tel Aviv.
"My Matan is alone in the tunnels," she said, "He has no more time".
At least 36 people have been killed by Israeli fire while they were on their way to an aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip at dawn, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time.
Gaza Strip resident Mohammed al-Khalidi said he was in the group approaching the site and heard no warnings before the firing began.
"We thought they came out to organise us so we can get aid, suddenly (I) saw the jeeps coming from one side, and the tanks from the other and started shooting at us," he said.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group which runs the aid site, said there were no incidents or fatalities there on Saturday and that it has repeatedly warned people not to travel to its distribution points in the dark.
"The reported IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometres away from the nearest GHF site," it said.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.
GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into the Gaza Strip, largely bypassing a United Nations-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians.
Hamas denies the accusation.
The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which GHF denies.
On Tuesday, the UN rights office in Geneva said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in the Gaza Strip - the majority of them close to GHF distribution points.
Most of those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military.
The military has acknowledged that civilians were harmed, saying that Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with "lessons learned".
At least 50 more people were killed in other Israeli attacks across the enclave on Saturday, health officials said, including one strike that killed the head of the Hamas-run police force in Nuseirat in the centre of the Gaza Strip and 11 of his family members.
The Israeli military said that it had struck militants' weapon depots and sniping posts in a few locations in the enclave.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people, mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in the strip has since killed about 58,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis, leaving much of the territory in ruins.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and a hostage deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, although there has been no sign of any imminent breakthrough.
At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped from his kibbutz home and is held by Hamas, urged Israel's leaders to make a deal with the militant group.
"An entire people wants to bring all 50 hostages home and end the war," Zangauker said in a statement outside Israel's defence headquarters in Tel Aviv.
"My Matan is alone in the tunnels," she said, "He has no more time".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
16 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How Gaza's aid crisis broke Hamas and starved the Strip
That income ended, officials say, when Israel imposed a blockade in March, and then began using the GHF, set up jointly by the US and Israel, to run aid hubs and bypass UN-run distributions. Loading The UN, the European Commission and major international aid organisations have said they have no evidence that Hamas has systematically stolen their aid. The Israeli government has not provided proof. Twenty-eight countries, including Britain, condemned the new aid arrangements this week amid widespread reports of starvation and hundreds of people being shot as they tried to get food. The countries' joint statement described as 'horrifying' the recent deaths of over 800 Palestinians who were seeking aid, according to the figures released by Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, and the UN human rights office. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the countries said. 'The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.' Palestinian health officials have said at least 101 people have died of hunger during the conflict, most of them in recent weeks. Food that does arrive in the coastal Strip is often sold and resold at extortionate prices, said Rabiha Abdel Aziz, a 75-year-old mother of nine living in a displacement camp in western Gaza. 'I don't know how people can eat,' she told the London Telegraph, explaining that the family can no longer even afford a kilo of flour, which currently costs $53. She said: 'My grandchildren wake up in the morning and ask me for a piece of bread that we don't have … Where will we get the money to buy food at this price? We are dying of hunger and bombing.' 'People collapse in the streets' Salem Jehad, a father of four who is living in a camp west of Gaza City, said he was unable to find milk for his newborn son. He said: 'All my children have lost half their weight, and I am the same. Most people don't have money. 'Two years without work during the war, with the crossings closed and aid entering scarcely, people are collapsing in the streets from weakness and hunger. We drink water with salt to satisfy our hunger.' Jehad said access to food had dramatically worsened since GHF took over the distribution, and he wanted a return to the previous UN-run model. The UN said on Tuesday that Israeli forces had killed more than 1000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the GHF began operations in May. 'Hamas' strategy relied on the suffering of Gazans … when this failed, it foolishly doubled down because it had nothing else in its toolbox to deal with Israel's ferocious reaction to October 7'. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, Realign for Palestine Aid distributions have been marred by chaotic scenes and frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations. Israel's military has disputed previous death tolls, but has said its troops have at times fired warning shots, and it is investigating accusations of civilian deaths. Jehad said: 'Now we are running into death traps. Gazans are dying to bring a kilo of flour and rice.' Hamas' mistake over 'strategy of suffering' Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who leads the Realign for Palestine lobby group, said that Hamas had counted on the humanitarian crisis to bring the war to an end. He told The Washington Post: 'Hamas' strategy relied on the suffering of Gazans. 'But when this strategy failed, it foolishly doubled down on this approach, in large part because it had nothing else in its toolbox to deal with Israel's ferocious reaction to October 7 and the world's inability to stop it.' Lior Akerman, the head of national resilience at the Institute for Policy and Strategy (IPS) at Reichman University, and a former chief of staff in Shin Bet, Israel's MI5, said Hamas had 'almost completely disintegrated in the Gaza Strip'. 'All the senior commanders were killed and all the frameworks of the fighting disintegrated,' he said 'Today, in the absence of commanders, Hamas members in the Gaza Strip are operating like independent, armed militias. 'In every area, the terrorists continue to do the best they can with the weapons they possess, and they are effectively waging a guerrilla war against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). This type of fighting could last for years and wear down the IDF in a never-ending war.' Truce negotiations held up Israel and Hamas are holding indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and a hostage release deal. But there has been no sign of a deal yet, and discussions have reportedly been held up by Hamas' negotiators in Doha being unable to reach representatives in Gaza since late last week. Loading Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst, said as Hamas had been degraded in Gaza, the group's centre of gravity had shifted abroad. He said that with only Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, commander of the Gaza City Brigade, remaining as a senior figure in Gaza, 'a dramatic change has occurred'. 'The centre of gravity shifted from the Strip to Hamas abroad,' he said. 'And in particular to Khalil al-Khayya, who was very much involved in the planning of October 7 and continues to lead an extremist line from the Hamas base in Qatar.'
The Age
16 minutes ago
- The Age
How Gaza's aid crisis broke Hamas and starved the Strip
That income ended, officials say, when Israel imposed a blockade in March, and then began using the GHF, set up jointly by the US and Israel, to run aid hubs and bypass UN-run distributions. Loading The UN, the European Commission and major international aid organisations have said they have no evidence that Hamas has systematically stolen their aid. The Israeli government has not provided proof. Twenty-eight countries, including Britain, condemned the new aid arrangements this week amid widespread reports of starvation and hundreds of people being shot as they tried to get food. The countries' joint statement described as 'horrifying' the recent deaths of over 800 Palestinians who were seeking aid, according to the figures released by Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, and the UN human rights office. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the countries said. 'The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.' Palestinian health officials have said at least 101 people have died of hunger during the conflict, most of them in recent weeks. Food that does arrive in the coastal Strip is often sold and resold at extortionate prices, said Rabiha Abdel Aziz, a 75-year-old mother of nine living in a displacement camp in western Gaza. 'I don't know how people can eat,' she told the London Telegraph, explaining that the family can no longer even afford a kilo of flour, which currently costs $53. She said: 'My grandchildren wake up in the morning and ask me for a piece of bread that we don't have … Where will we get the money to buy food at this price? We are dying of hunger and bombing.' 'People collapse in the streets' Salem Jehad, a father of four who is living in a camp west of Gaza City, said he was unable to find milk for his newborn son. He said: 'All my children have lost half their weight, and I am the same. Most people don't have money. 'Two years without work during the war, with the crossings closed and aid entering scarcely, people are collapsing in the streets from weakness and hunger. We drink water with salt to satisfy our hunger.' Jehad said access to food had dramatically worsened since GHF took over the distribution, and he wanted a return to the previous UN-run model. The UN said on Tuesday that Israeli forces had killed more than 1000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the GHF began operations in May. 'Hamas' strategy relied on the suffering of Gazans … when this failed, it foolishly doubled down because it had nothing else in its toolbox to deal with Israel's ferocious reaction to October 7'. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, Realign for Palestine Aid distributions have been marred by chaotic scenes and frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations. Israel's military has disputed previous death tolls, but has said its troops have at times fired warning shots, and it is investigating accusations of civilian deaths. Jehad said: 'Now we are running into death traps. Gazans are dying to bring a kilo of flour and rice.' Hamas' mistake over 'strategy of suffering' Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who leads the Realign for Palestine lobby group, said that Hamas had counted on the humanitarian crisis to bring the war to an end. He told The Washington Post: 'Hamas' strategy relied on the suffering of Gazans. 'But when this strategy failed, it foolishly doubled down on this approach, in large part because it had nothing else in its toolbox to deal with Israel's ferocious reaction to October 7 and the world's inability to stop it.' Lior Akerman, the head of national resilience at the Institute for Policy and Strategy (IPS) at Reichman University, and a former chief of staff in Shin Bet, Israel's MI5, said Hamas had 'almost completely disintegrated in the Gaza Strip'. 'All the senior commanders were killed and all the frameworks of the fighting disintegrated,' he said 'Today, in the absence of commanders, Hamas members in the Gaza Strip are operating like independent, armed militias. 'In every area, the terrorists continue to do the best they can with the weapons they possess, and they are effectively waging a guerrilla war against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). This type of fighting could last for years and wear down the IDF in a never-ending war.' Truce negotiations held up Israel and Hamas are holding indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and a hostage release deal. But there has been no sign of a deal yet, and discussions have reportedly been held up by Hamas' negotiators in Doha being unable to reach representatives in Gaza since late last week. Loading Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst, said as Hamas had been degraded in Gaza, the group's centre of gravity had shifted abroad. He said that with only Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, commander of the Gaza City Brigade, remaining as a senior figure in Gaza, 'a dramatic change has occurred'. 'The centre of gravity shifted from the Strip to Hamas abroad,' he said. 'And in particular to Khalil al-Khayya, who was very much involved in the planning of October 7 and continues to lead an extremist line from the Hamas base in Qatar.'
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Health Check: Aussie biotechs are navigating a US regulatory minefield
Telix faces unwanted US regulatory attention – but it's not alone Amplia raises $25 million, with another $2.5 million to go A home-grown uni biotech innovation shines again Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) shares this morning slumped up to 16% on news that the radiopharmacy play has attracted unwanted attention from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). But the company is no Robinson Crusoe, in that US regulatory and legal glitches pose a regular minefield for ASX biotechs doing business there. The companies watchdog has subpoenaed 'various documents and information'. These mainly relate to the company's disclosures about its prostate cancer therapeutic program. 'The company is fully cooperating with the SEC and is in the process of responding to the information request,' Telix says. 'At this stage, this matter is a fact-finding request'. Telix adds the SEC's entreaty does not mean that Telix has violated US security laws 'or that the SEC has a negative opinion of any person, entity or security'. Barring more detail, the episode sounds like a case of 'probably nothing or very much something'. Overnight, Nasdaq investors were more chill about the affair, marking Telix shares only marginally lower. At the very least, the SEC's nosing around is likely to distract management from the company's busy agenda. 'In our experience of similar matters, these investigations tend to drag on for years without resolution,' broker Jefferies says. Trouble and strife Other ASX biotechs in the US have run into the odd bit of strife over patent disputes and regulatory interventions. ResMed (ASX:RMD) regularly parries with rivals Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (ASX:FPH) and Philips Respironics over sleep apnoea patents. In 2018 a jury ordered Cochlear (ASX:COH) to pay US$268 million in damages for a patent infringement. The charitable Alfred E. Mann Foundation lodged the action. In 2020 Cochlear lost an appeal. In 2013 CSL (ASX:CSL) paid US$64 million to settle an antitrust class action lodged by hospital groups. 'Business as usual' Telix says it will continue with the prostate cancer program. The SEC action also will not affect its nearer-stage imaging programs for kidney and brain cancers. Telix also reported June quarter revenue of US$204 million, 63% higher year on year, whilst maintaining calendar 2025 revenue guidance of US$770-800 million. This revenue derived mainly from Telix's prostate cancer imaging agent, Illucix. 'Dose volumes for Illuccix rose 7% quarter-on-quarter in the US, reinforcing the strength of our market position and continued customer demand,' Telix co-founder and CEO Dr Chris Behrenbruch says. He adds that 'despite emerging competitive pricing pressure', Telix has 'effective strategies' to maintain average selling prices. Next month, Telix lifts the kimono on June (first) half earnings. Jefferies expects a $50.6 million net profit, with a calendar 2025 tally of $88.3 million. Interestingly, this is a decline on the previous year's US$105.4 million, but the firm plugs in US$183 million for calendar 2026. Perhaps they lost our phone number? Speaking of US regulatory glitches, stroke drug developer Argenica Therapeutics (ASX:AGN) is yet to hear back from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as to why the agency plonked a 'clinical hold' on its US trial plans. On June 10 Argenica said the FDA had deemed the company's supportive material as not being adequate to support its Investigational New Drug application. The trial was aimed at approval under the FDA's fast-track route. Argenica expected to hear back from the FDA within 30 days, but the agency's 'resourcing challenges' have blown out this timeline. In the meantime, Argenica is on track to report topline results from its local, proof-of-concept trial in the current quarter. The 92-patient phase II study tests Argenica's candidate ARG-007, in view of safety and preliminary efficacy in ischaemic (blockage) stroke patients. Courtesy of $4 million of government and private grants, Argenica is also investigating the 'potential utility' of ARG-0007 for other neurological conditions, including traumatic brain injury. Argenica disclosed June quarter cash burn of $2.36 million and a closing cash balance of $10.5 million. Nyrada advances heart protection trial In other trial news, Nyrada (ASX:NYR) is advancing its locally developed drug Xolatryp into phase IIa stage. Xolatryp targets the unmet need of protecting the heart following cardiac injury where patients are at high risk of tissue damage. Nyrada notes there's been no significant new cardiac drug developed for more than two decades. Xolatryp could become the first drug of its kind to protect the heart actively from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Nyrada anticipates a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, enrolling 150 subjects. These patients have acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (stenting). The company hopes to kick off the study in the March quarter of 2026. We now have Ample-ia funds, says cancer drug developer Prostate cancer drug hopeful Amplia (ASX:ATX) has raised $25 million in an institutional placement and is eyeing a further $2.5 million in a share purchase plan. The deed was done at 23 cents, a 19% discount to last Friday's 'frozen' price ahead of a trading halt. Amplia shares have been on a tear on the back of remarkable phase II results, covering patients with advanced metastatic forms of the deadly disease. Last month Amplia reported 17 partial responses, which meant the tumour size shrunk by at least 30%. Two of the 55 patients reported a complete response, which pretty much means a – can we say it? – cure. Amplia now plans a US trial combining Amplia's candidate AMP-945 with a different chemotherapy. The raising takes Amplia's cash to $42.7 million, including $8.2 million of expected R&D tax refunds. Don't forget who invented it Sanofi's $2.5 billion purchase of vaccine tech outfit Vicebio again highlights the role of Australian universities as a springboard for money-making life sciences ideas. The Paris-based Big Pharma is paying up to US$1.6 billion for the UK-based Vicebio and its so-called molecular clamp technology. The deal involves an upfront payment of US$1.15 billion, with regulatory milestones of US$450 million. Discovered at the University of Queensland (UQ), the clamp stabilises viral proteins enabling the immune system to respond to them more effectively. The upshot is the quicker development of fully liquid combination vaccines that can be stored at fridge temperatures. Vicebio was formed in 2018 to develop the clamp to make vaccines against life-threatening respiratory viral infections. During the pandemic, Vicebio had a stab at a Covid-19 vaccine. Courtesy of a US$100 million Series B financing last year, Vicebio's investors include Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Avoro Ventures and Venbio Partners. Uniquest, UQ's commercialisation arm has an unquantified direct investment and benefits from a licensing arrangement. Uniquest formed more than 130 start-ups, which went on to raise more than $1 billion and glean $86 million in product sales. This included licensing the UQ-invented cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil. The UQ bright sparks responsible for the molecular clamp are professors Paul Young, Daniel Watterson and Keith Chappell. UQ describes the deal as 'the largest involving a company that is commercialising intellectual property from an Australian university.'
