01:41 PM EST, 03/06/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were higher Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index adding 0.7% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) up 0.6%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 0.3%.

In corporate news, BiomX ( PHGE ) shares surged 170% after the company said it has entered into a merger agreement with Adaptive Phage Therapeutics to create a phage therapy company.