09:19 AM EDT, 06/25/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were advancing pre-bell Tuesday as the iShares Biotechnology ETF ( IBB ) was 0.9% higher and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) was up 0.1% recently.

Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) advanced by over 2% after saying its Wegovy weight loss weekly injectable drug has been approved in China for long-term weight management.

Rigel Pharmaceuticals ( RIGL ) said it completed the transfer to Rigel of the new drug application for Gavreto to treat adults with metastatic rearranged during transfection fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer as well as adults and children 12 years of age and older with advanced or metastatic RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer. Rigel Pharmaceuticals ( RIGL ) was down more than 9% premarket.

Evotec (EVO) was up over 1% after saying its Seattle-based subsidiary received a multi-year contract of up to $39 million to support the US Department of Defense's effort to enhance its rapid response capabilities for biologics medical countermeasures.