01:56 PM EDT, 03/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks declined Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index down 0.4% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) easing 0.1%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) shed 0.3%.

In corporate news, Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) said Thursday the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its once-weekly Wegovy HD injection to lower excess body weight and sustain long-term weight loss. Novo shares were down 1.8%.

Humacyte ( HUMA ) said Thursday it has received a roughly $1.5 million minimum purchase commitment for its Symvess acellular tissue engineered vessel for a clinical evaluation and outreach program in Saudi Arabian hospitals. The company also said it has struck a deal to sell 25 million shares to institutional investors to raise $20 million. Its shares fell more than 12%.

Elliott Investment Management has amassed a sizable stake in Align Technology ( ALGN ) and plans to engage with the dental device company to encourage it to consider ways to boost its stock price, Bloomberg reported. Align shares rose 1.9%.