03:53 PM EST, 02/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks declined late Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index shedding 0.4% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) easing 0.1%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 0.7%.

In corporate news, Novo Nordisk's ( NVO ) semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic, helped mitigate alcohol cravings in adults with alcohol use disorder in a clinical trial, researchers said in findings published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry. Novo shares were down more than 2%.

Aptose Biosciences ( APTO ) shares surged 24%. The company reported "promising" early safety and response results from newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients dosed in a phase 1/2 trial with 40 milligrams of tuspetinib in combination with standard of care dosing of venetoclax and azacitidine.

CVS Health ( CVS ) reported better-than-expected Q4 results and projected higher 2025 earnings. The shares jumped 16%.

Biogen (BIIB) guided for a decline in earnings and revenue for 2025 amid ongoing challenges in its multiple sclerosis product category, despite reporting stronger-than-expected Q4 results. Its shares fell almost 5%.