01:53 PM EDT, 08/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks rose Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index up 0.3% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) adding 0.4%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was climbing 1.2%.

In corporate news, Biogen (BIIB) Chief Executive Chris Viehbacher sees Novo Nordisk's ( NVO ) study evaluating its weight-loss drug for Alzheimer's disease as an opportunity to potentially create a more potent therapy, Bloomberg reported, citing the CEO. Biogen shares added 0.9%.

Eli Lilly ( LLY ) , Pfizer ( PFE ) , Novo Nordisk ( NVO ), and Biogen are among a number of Western pharmaceutical companies that have applied for their drugs and treatments to be included in China's new catalog of commercial health insurance, Bloomberg reported. Lilly shares rose 0.7%, Pfizer ( PFE ) was down 0.4% and Novo increased 0.1%.

Cardinal Health ( CAH ) raised its full-year earnings outlook after its fiscal Q4 bottom line rose above market expectations, while the drug distributor agreed to buy urological healthcare management company Solaris Health in a deal worth $1.9 billion. Cardinal shares fell past 7%.