03:46 PM EDT, 09/04/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks advanced late Thursday afternoon with the NYSE Health Care Index and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) each adding 0.3%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) eased 0.1%.

In corporate news, the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation into CVS Health ( CVS ) following reports that the company used confidential patient information to influence Louisiana lawmakers. CVS shares rose 0.1%.

Nektar Therapeutics ( NKTR ) shares jumped 26% after late-stage trial results from Sanofi's ( SNY ) competing atopic dermatitis drug, amlitelimab, failed to meet investor expectations. Sanofi ( SNY ) shares fell 9.4%.

Bright Minds Biosciences ( DRUG ) shares gained 3.6% after the company said that preclinical results for its investigational drug BMB-201 in a rat model of vascular headache showed "greater effect sizes" than sumatriptan at several timepoints.

Medtronic ( MDT ) said that a study evaluating the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system in inguinal and ventral hernia repair procedures met its primary effectiveness endpoint. Medtronic ( MDT ) shares added 0.6%