Small caps: Silence Therapeutics, Eros, Interquest,...

Silence Therapeutics has agreed a one-year extension of its ongoing research and development collaboration with AstraZeneca. The pair are working on five therapeutic molecules addressing respiratory and oncology indications.Film distributor Eros traded well in the second half of the financial year to March and performed in line with expectations for the year. The reduction in net debt at the year-end was ahead of expectations, reflecting strong cash generation during the second half and reduced capital expenditure. The positive trading performance has continued into the current financial year.IT recruiter Interquest's net fee income in first half of 2010 was 14% higher than the first half of 2009. Second quarter net income rose by 25% year-on-year and by 7% sequentially. Contractors onsite were 14% higher than in the final week of quarter 2 of 2009 and 10% higher than in the final week of quarter 1 2010. "Trading in the first six months of the year has been strong, showing increased levels of demand in both permanent and contract recruitment. While there has been some weakness in the public sector, this has been more than offset by growth in the private sector," chairman Gary Ashworth said.Shares in Brooks Macdonald advanced after the AIM-listed integrated wealth management group said results to 30 June will be ahead of market expectations.Manchester based drug discovery firm Cyprotex said it has experienced a strong second quarter, adding that this momentum has continued into July. Revenue and EBITDA performance is in line with market expectations. Greetings card group International Greetings returned to a pre-tax profit from continuing operations of £3m in the year ended 31 March compared with a loss of £0.3m. The group said it is well placed to meet challenging market conditions.Market researcher Brainjuicer said it saw revenue grow by 48% in the first half of 2010, thanks largely to a strong performance from its businesses in the UK and USA. The board said performance for the full year is likely to be in line with expectations. African Medical Investments said initial findings from an investigation into potential financial and administrative irregularities at its Harare and Johannesburg medical facilities indicate that the group may have a claim against its now former chief executive Dr. Vivek Solanki.The healthcare group said it intends to pursue potential claims 'aggressively' and announced that Solanki has stepped down from the board with immediate effect.