09:16 AM EST, 12/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were mixed pre-bell Wednesday as the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was slightly lower and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) was recently up 0.2%.

Sotera Health's ( SHC ) board was urged by shareholder Firstlight Management to sell the company's Nelson Labs subsidiary, according to Firstlight's letter. Sotera Health ( SHC ) shares declined by over 4% premarket.

Mesoblast (MESO) shares were up 0.1% after the company said it will be added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index as part of an annual reconstitution, effective after the opening of trading on Monday.

Cognition Therapeutics ( CGTX ) shares surged past 155% after the company said a phase 2 study of CT1812 to treat patients with Lewy body dementia met its primary endpoint of safety and tolerability.