09:15 AM EDT, 07/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were flat to higher pre-bell Wednesday with the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) advancing by 0.3% and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) inactive recently.

Merck ( MRK ) has agreed to acquire Verona Pharma ( VRNA ) for $107 per American depositary share for a total transaction value of about $10 billion, the companies said. Shares of Verona Pharma ( VRNA ) were up nearly 21% premarket.

RxSight ( RXST ) shares were down more than 49% after the company reported a lower preliminary Q2 revenue and cut its 2025 revenue guidance.

UnitedHealth Group's ( UNH ) UNH Medicare billing practices are being investigated by the US Justice Department's criminal healthcare-fraud unit, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ) were down more than 1% premarket.