03:54 PM EST, 01/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks advanced late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index rising 0.4% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) up 0.3%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) shed 0.4%.

In corporate news, ImmunityBio ( IBRX ) shares jumped past 25% after it provided an update on its ongoing discussions with the US Food and Drug Administration regarding its cancer pipeline and submissions of marketing authorization applications in Europe and the UK.

Outlook Therapeutics ( OTLK ) shares fell more than 6% after it said it completed its analysis of the 12-week safety and efficacy results for a trial evaluating ONS-5010 in wet age-related macular degeneration.

UnitedHealth Group's ( UNH ) Q4 results increased on an annual basis, but revenue fell short of market expectations, while the health insurer kept its full-year outlook unchanged on Thursday. Its shares dropped nearly 6%.

Biomerica ( BMRA ) shares surged 106% after it said Thursday its Fortel prostate-specific antigen screening test has been approved by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention to detect prostate cancer.