02:09 PM EDT, 10/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were mixed Friday afternoon with the NYSE Health Care Index falling 0.4% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) gaining 0.4%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) added 0.3%.

In corporate news, Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) hired Greg Miley as senior vice president of corporate affairs, according to a LinkedIn post by Miley. He will join Novo next month from AbbVie ( ABBV ) . Novo shares fell 3.6%, and AbbVie ( ABBV ) rose 1.2%.

AstraZeneca's ( AZN ) Saphnelo received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, recommending approval of a new self-administered, once-weekly subcutaneous formulation for systemic lupus erythematosus. The stock rose 0.9%.

Disc Medicine ( IRON ) shares jumped 20% after the company received a Commissioner's National Priority Voucher from the US Food and Drug Administration, designed to expedite the review process for its drug candidate bitopertin.