09:15 AM EST, 01/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks rose premarket Friday with the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) 0.1% higher and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) up 0.3% recently.

ImmunityBio ( IBRX ) shares advanced by over 6% after the company 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.

Novo Nordisk's ( NVO ) controlling shareholder, Novo Holdings, is looking to double the size of Catalent over five years as President-elect Donald Trump is likely to focus on US manufacturing, Reuters reported, citing an interview with a Novo Holdings senior partner. Separately, Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) said its phase 3b trial comparing subcutaneous semaglutide 7.2 mg with semaglutide 2.4 mg and placebo achieved its primary endpoint. Shares of Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) were down over 4% pre-bell.

Novartis ( NVS ) has obtained a temporary order from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, preventing MSN Pharmaceuticals from launching a generic version of its heart-failure drug, Entresto, according to the court order on Thursday. Novartis ( NVS ) shares were up 0.4% pre-bell.