09:18 AM EDT, 03/27/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were higher pre-bell Wednesday as the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) was up 0.6% and the iShares Biotechnology ETF ( IBB ) was recently advancing by 0.8%.

NovoCure ( NVCR ) was up more than 14% after saying its Tumor Treating Fields therapy for brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer met its primary endpoint in a phase 3 trial.

Merck ( MRK ) was up more than 4% after saying it received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its drug Winrevair as a treatment for adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Moderna ( MRNA ) will receive up to $750 million from Blackstone (BX) Life Sciences to fund its influenza vaccine research program, the companies said. Moderna ( MRNA ) was over 2% higher pre-bell.