09:20 AM EST, 03/04/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were narrowly mixed pre-bell Monday with the iShares Biotechnology ETF ( IBB ) up 0.04% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) down 0.2%.

Akero Therapeutics ( AKRO ) was rallying past 29% after saying preliminary topline results through week 96 from the phase 2b study evaluating its lead product candidate efruxifermin showed greater fibrosis improvement with no worsening of pre-cirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or Mash.

Iovance Biotherapeutics ( IOVA ) rose by nearly 8% after saying the US Food and Drug Administration lifted a partial clinical hold on a registrational trial evaluating LN-145 tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte cell therapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Avadel Pharmaceuticals ( AVDL ) was up more than 4% after it reported a Q4 net loss of $0.32 per diluted share, narrower than its loss of $0.44 a year earlier, while revenue was $19.5 million compared with no revenue a year earlier.