09:10 AM EDT, 09/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were advancing premarket Thursday, with the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) 0.1% higher and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) up 1%.

89bio (ETNB) stock was up more than 85% after the company said it has agreed to be acquired by Roche for $2.4 billion or a price of $14.50 per share in cash, a premium of about 79% above its closing Wednesday stock price.

Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) shares were up more than 7% after the company said its injectable Ozempic was linked to a 23% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and death compared with dulaglutide in US Medicare patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Intellia Therapeutics ( NTLA ) shares were up more than 5% after the company said it has completed patient enrollment in a phase 3 study of lonvoguran ziclumeran for hereditary angioedema treatment.