N4 Pharma shares rose on Monday after announcing an update on its collaborations with the research institute SRI to test its Nuvec gene delivery system.

Shares were 10% higher after the company said it successfully delivered RNA into lung cancer cells using N4’s Nuvec®.

The technology works by attaching targeting molecules to tiny particles that carry therapeutic RNA. These particles then seek out and bind to specific proteins found on cancer cells.

The system successfully targeted non-small cell lung cancer cells in laboratory tests, delivering RNA therapy only to the intended cancer cells, not healthy tissue. This is promising news.

The RNA therapy market is worth $13.7 billion globally and is growing at a pace. However, getting these treatments to the right cells remains a major challenge for developers, the company says.

Current RNA delivery methods struggle with precision targeting. N4 Pharma’s work focuses on tackling this “holy grail” problem by targeting therapy specifically to diseased cells while sparing healthy ones.

“Targeting RNA therapies to particular cell types is highly sought after by companies developing RNA therapeutics. We have now demonstrated Nuvec®’s ability to do this in multiple systems, which we believe sets it apart from other RNA delivery methods,” said Nigel Theobold, Chief Executive Officer of N4 Pharma.

“These recent data from our collaboration with SRI are particularly exciting because they represent the first example of the use of Nuvec® for the potential treatment of some of the most common and life-threatening cancers.

“N4 Pharma raised capital earlier this year to build out the data to support the key performance claims of Nuvec®: simultaneous delivery of multiple RNAs; targeting of specific cell types; oral delivery; low immunogenicity; stability; and simple manufacturing. These data generated with SRI are a significant step forward in that process, because of the high demand for targeted therapies to support deal-making and building our own differentiated RNA therapeutics pipeline.” 

Van Elle Holdings, one of Britain’s largest ground engineering contractors, has warned that full-year trading will fall materially below market expectations.

Shares in Van Elle sank over 14% as the firm blamed continued challenging conditions across its core sectors.

Revenue has failed to increase as anticipated year-to-date, and the company said profitability is now expected to trail both forecasts and prior-year performance. This is not what investors want to hear.

Echoing the sentiments of major housebuilders in their recent releases, Van Elle highlighted slow approvals as a reason for their revised forecasts.

The shortfall stems from ongoing spending constraints and contract delays, particularly those linked to Building Safety Act approvals for high-rise residential projects.

The recovery in their main markets is also yet to materialise, further weighing on revenue.

These difficulties, which plagued the company throughout its previous financial year ending April 2025, are now persisting in the new financial year.

Despite near-term pressures, the group maintains a robust order book of £47.3m as of 31st July 2025, up from £41.5m three months earlier.

The company will provide its next trading update for the six months ending 30th October in early December.

ITM Power has landed a significant capacity reservation deal with European energy powerhouse RWE for 150MW of its NEPTUNE V hydrogen units.

The agreement covers 30 units with call-offs expected by 2027.

“We are proud to expand our collaboration with RWE,” said Dennis Schulz, CEO.

“Building on our strong relationship developed through the joint execution of the GetH2 Nukleus project, this additional 150MW capacity reservation underlines RWE’s confidence in our technology and delivery capability. Repeat business with a global leader in energy is the strongest validation of our strategy, our products, and our people.”

Today’s deal builds on RWE’s successful operation of an ITM Power 4MW pilot plant and delivery of 200MW of electrolysers for the ambitious GetH2 Nukleus project in Lingen, Germany.

The NEPTUNE V represents ITM Power’s latest generation of containerised green hydrogen solutions, enabling rapid deployment and simplified installation. The units can also be interconnected to create larger container-based facilities.

Since its launch last year, the NEPTUNE V platform has achieved impressive commercial momentum and ITM say it is recognised as ‘a benchmark technology for commercial-scale green hydrogen projects’.

Investors will hope the agreement and its delivery can help push ITM back above 100p mark after a prolonged period trading beneath the key psychological level. ITM Power once traded above 600p.

The FTSE 100 held firm on Friday as investors plotted their next move after an action-packed week of monetary policy.

London’s leading index was gently undulating between positive and negative in early trade on Friday.

Investors were also picking through the latest instalment of UK economic data. UK retail sales increased by 0.5% as GfK consumer confidence came in at -19, which was worse than economists’ expectations.

One wonders how dire the UK’s economic data needs to become before the government or central bank takes action to support the economy.

Although UK retail sales showed signs of positivity, consumer confidence took another kicking, largely due to concerns around the upcoming budget.

“UK markets opened a touch higher this morning, but the calm masks a tug-of-war in the data. UK shoppers delivered another surprise in August, with retail sales up 0.5% for the second month running, outpacing forecasts as sunny weather drove demand for clothes and food treats,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown.

“But while tills were busy, the mood is anything but buoyant, with consumer confidence slipping to its lowest in three months, as looming tax hikes cast a long shadow. The disconnect is clear, with consumers happy to spend now, perhaps before the Chancellor comes calling in November, but sentiment on the economic outlook remains firmly in the red.”

Soggy economic data weighed on UK investor sentiment on Friday, with many holding off on taking positions despite the US closing at a record high again yesterday.

Having outperformed the S&P 500 during tariff volatility, the FTSE 100 is starting to slip back into its position as an income option as US stocks power to fresh highs.

US tech stocks led gains in the US overnight, with names such as Nvidia, Intel and a raft of quantum stocks powering higher.

The bullish session for US stocks overnight fed into the FTSE 100’s riskier sectors as miners gained on Friday. Antofagasta, Glencore and Anglo were again favoured by investors.

However, their strength was offset by the decline of housebuilders and retailers.

The London Stock Exchange Group was the top faller with losses of 2.8%.

Fresnillo and Endeavour Mining were the FTSE 100’s top risers as investors bought into the precious metals miners, with the gold price holding its own after central bank decisions this week.