Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Gain Late Afternoon
Healthcare stocks were higher late Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) each adding 1.4%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) climbed 1.4%.In corporate news, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) agreed to buy endocrine disease drugmaker Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (CRNX) for a total equity value of about $10 billion. Crinetics shares jumped 98%, and Vertex was down 1.2%.Eli Lilly (LLY) Canada said Tuesday that Health Canada has approved Mounjaro for pediatric patients aged 10 to 17 with type 2 diabetes. Lilly shares rose 2.7%.Vera Therapeutics' (VERA) Trutakna has been approved to reduce proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy, the US Food and Drug Administration said in a Tuesday statement. Vera Therapeutics shares jumped by more than 7%.AstraZeneca (AZN) has signed an agreement to access Helix's genomic datasets to support research for drug discovery and development, Helix said Tuesday. AstraZeneca shares added 1.4%.