08:44 AM EDT, 04/11/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were mixed pre-bell Thursday as the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) was marginally down and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.2% higher recently.

Alpine Immune Sciences ( ALPN ) was climbing past 36% after Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX ) agreed to acquire the company for $4.9 billion in cash, or $65 a share.