Don't miss Friday's webinar discussing imaging tech, laser tech and agricultural REITs. Click here to register.

Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) has been placed in a trading halt following an announcement by BHP that Whitehaven Coal is the preferred bidder for BHP's Daunia and Blackwater coking coal mines in Queensland. This announcement was made in an unusual manner, with just a single reference in BHP's quarterly operations report. BHP confirmed Whitehaven Coal as the preferred bidder through a market filing. Shares are on trading halt, last traded at $6.79.

Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals (ASX:PAR) announces that their iPPS treatment, which focuses on the treatment of diseases where inflammation plays a major pathogenic role, increases cartilage thickness at 6 months in participants with knee osteoarthritis compared to cartilage loss in placebo group. Shares are trading 16.67 per cent higher at 73.5 cents.

In similar news, Noxopharm (ASX:NOX) announces that their mRNA vaccine enhancer shows significant inflammation reduction. In an animal study, inflammation was reduced by around 50% when comparing the inflammation induced by mRNA alone to mRNA plus SOF-VAC. Shares are trading 40.63 per cent higher at 13.5 cents.

Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) has requested an extension of a trading halt on the ASX as it seeks additional time to secure funding for its Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia. The trading halt will continue until Friday's market opening. Shares are on trading halt, last traded at $2.79.