04:01 PM EDT, 06/07/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks rose late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) each adding about 0.2%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) fell 0.5%.

In corporate news, Walgreens Boots Alliance ( WBA ) put plans for an initial public offering of Boots on hold while weighing ownership of the UK drugstore chain, Bloomberg reported. Walgreens shares were up 0.2%.

Biomea Fusion ( BMEA ) shares plunged 63% after it said the US Food and Drug Administration placed a full clinical hold on early trials of its investigational covalent menin inhibitor BMF-219 in type 2 and type 1 diabetes.

ChromaDex ( CDXC ) stock jumped almost 13% after it said Friday that the US Food & Drug Administration has granted orphan-drug designation and rare pediatric disease designation for NRC, its drug candidate to treat Ataxia Telangiectasia.

Asensus Surgical ( ASXC ) shares surged 41% after the company agreed to be acquired by Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, a unit of Karl Storz, for $0.35 per share in cash.