08:57 AM EDT, 04/05/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were leaning higher pre-bell Friday, with the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) up 0.5% and the iShares Biotechnology ETF ( IBB ) flat recently.

Nutex Health ( NUTX ) shares slid more than 8% after the company said it would implement a 1-for-15 reverse stock split to regain compliance with Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirement for continued listing.

Candel Therapeutics ( CADL ) shares rose more than 14% in premarket activity Friday, extending gains a day after reporting positive interim data from a randomized phase 2 clinical study of non-metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Caribou Biosciences ( CRBU ) shares were up almost 4% after the company said federal regulators have cleared the biopharmaceutical company's application to begin phase 1 testing of its CB-010 cell therapy in patients with lupus nephritis and extrarenal lupus.