Health care stocks were lower late Monday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index down 0.2% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) fractionally lower.
The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was falling 0.5%.
In company news, Pfizer (PFE) Chief Executive Albert Bourla and hundreds of other biotech and pharmaceutical company executives have signed an open letter urging a reversal of a federal judge’s ruling to suspend sales of abortion pill mifepristone. Pfizer shares rose 0.6%.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) rose 0.5%. The company said Health Canada granted marketing authorization for the expanded use of Orkambi for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in children ages one to less than two years with a certain type of gene mutation.
Can-Fite Biopharma (CANF) was down 1.4% after it received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use on its registration plan for a phase 3 trial of Piclidenoson to treat moderate to severe psoriasis.
The US Food and Drug Administration said Philips’ (PHG) unit Philips Respironics’ recall of some of its respiratory machines is a class I recall, which is the most serious type. Philips shares rose 0.2%.
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