03:45 PM EDT, 10/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks fell late Thursday afternoon with the NYSE Health Care Index and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) each shedding 0.3%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) eased 0.1%.

In corporate news, BioAffinity Technologies ( BIAF ) shares fell 2.5% after the company closed a registered direct offering of 720,000 common shares at $2.50 apiece for gross proceeds of $1.8 million.

Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) agreed to buy Akero Therapeutics ( AKRO ) for up to $5.2 billion in cash, aiming to expand its portfolio targeting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Novo shares fell 1.6%, and Akero jumped 16%.

AstraZeneca ( AZN ) will invest $4.5 billion in its new manufacturing facility in Albemarle County, Virginia, $500 million more than initially announced, to produce a broader range of medicines. The shares were little changed.

GoodRx ( GDRX ) shares climbed 6.2%. The company and various pharmacies said they are in talks with Trump administration officials about joining the TrumpRx website, Reuters reported.