09:14 AM EDT, 06/20/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were lower pre-bell Thursday as the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) was down 0.3% and iShares Biotechnology ETF ( IBB ) was recently declining by 0.3%.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals ( JAZZ ) was down more than 3% after saying its investigational therapy suvecaltamide did not meet its primary endpoint in a phase 2b trial evaluating its efficacy and safety in adult patients with essential tremor.

PTC Therapeutics ( PTCT ) was up over 3% after saying the US Food and Drug Administration has lifted the partial clinical hold on its PTC518 program following favorable interim results from the phase 2 PIVOT-HD study in Huntington's disease patients.

Cara Therapeutics ( CARA ) late Tuesday disclosed plans to explore strategic alternatives and lay off 70% of its workforce after discontinuing work on its difelikefalin drug candidate last week for failing to show clinical benefit in pruritus treatment, a nerve disorder. Cara Therapeutics ( CARA ) rose past 8% premarket.