Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Rise Wednesday Afternoon

01:41 PM EDT, 09/16/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Healthcare stocks rose Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index increasing 0.3% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) adding 0.5%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 0.9%. In corporate news, Twist Bioscience (TWST) shares gained 4.2% after the company said it has agreed to provide antibody characterization data services to Lilly TuneLab, an AI drug discovery platform created by Eli Lilly (LLY). Lilly shares added 0.5%. Sanofi (SNY) said Wednesday it has opened the Charles Best Building flu vaccine manufacturing facility in the Sanofi Toronto campus that will make its Fluzone High-Dose influenza vaccine. Sanofi shares were up 0.9%. Novartis (NVS) discontinued development of VHB937 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the company said in an emailed statement to MT Newswires Wednesday. The decision was taken after a phase 2 Astrals study did not meet its primary or secondary endpoints. Novartis shares were fractionally higher.