09:15 AM EDT, 03/25/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were advancing pre-bell Wednesday, with the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLV ) 0.5% higher and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) up 0.3%.

Royal Philips (PHG) stock was up more than 2% after the company said it has launched its IntraSight Plus interventional cardiology guidance platform.

Merck ( MRK ) has agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals ( TERN ) for $53 per share in cash, valuing the company at about $6.7 billion, the companies said. Terns Pharmaceuticals ( TERN ) stock was up more than 5% premarket.

Beam Therapeutics ( BEAM ) shares were up more than 2% after the company said it has selected a 60 mg dose of its base-editing therapy BEAM-302 for pivotal development following updated phase 1/2 trial data in patients with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.