Health care stocks rose late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) each adding about 1.4%.
The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) gained almost 2%.
In corporate news, CVS Health (CVS) put in a bid for a number of Rite Aid stores in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, as well as patient prescription data, Bloomberg reported, citing a recording of a meeting between Rite Aid Chief Executive Matthew Schroeder and employees. CVS shares added 0.7%.
Incyte (INCY) shares rose 2.6% after the firm said the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Zynyz for the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal in combination with chemotherapy and as a monotherapy.
Immutep (IMMP) shares jumped 8.2%. The company said its investigational drug, eftilagimod alpha, combined with Merck's (MRK) Keytruda and doublet chemotherapy achieved a response rate of 60.8% and disease control rate of 90.2% in people with non-small cell lung cancer in an investigator-initiated trial.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) responded Wednesday to a Wall Street Journal report about a US Department of Justice criminal investigation linked to itss Medicare Advantage program. The company said it has not received any notification from the DOJ and described the WSJ report, without official attribution, as "deeply irresponsible." UnitedHealth shares were falling 11%.
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