04:00 PM EDT, 07/12/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks advanced late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index rising 0.9% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) up 0.6%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) gained 0.8%.

In corporate news, Verastem ( VSTM ) shares surged nearly 13% after it said Friday the first person had been dosed in a phase 1/2 trial conducted by GenFleet Therapeutics in China to assess candidate drug GFH375/VS-7375 in patients with advanced KRAS G12D mutant solid tumors.

Alzamend Neuro ( ALZN ) shares dropped 3.4% after the company said Friday its board has approved a 1-for-10 reverse stock split.

SeaStar Medical ( ICU ) shares jumped more than 12% after the company reported the first commercial sale of the Quelimmune pediatric product to its US distribution partner Nuwellis (NUWE).

Immutep ( IMMP ) shares soared past 14% after the firm late Thursday reported "positive" results from group B of a phase 2b trial assessing its eftilagimod alfa plus Merck's (MRK) Keytruda to potentially treat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.