01:57 PM EDT, 06/05/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks rose Thursday afternoon with the NYSE Health Care Index and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) both adding 0.2%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 0.5%.

In corporate news, Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) remains focused on its oncology franchise with a strong drug pipeline to treat cancer and other diseases, RBC Capital Markets said Thursday. Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) shares added 0.2%.

ImmunoPrecise Antibodies ( IPA ) shares surged 29% after the company discovered a "highly conserved epitope" in all four dengue virus serotypes using its LENSai platform.

Maia Biotechnology (MAIA) shares jumped 8.6% after data from a phase 2 trial showed that treatment with the company's ateganosine extended median overall survival for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Alvotech ( ALVO ) and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (RDY) entered a collaboration and license agreement to co-develop, make and commercialize a biosimilar candidate to Merck's (MRK) Keytruda. Reddy's shares rose 5.9%, and Alvotech ( ALVO ) fell 2.7%.