Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Edge Higher Pre-Bell Wednesday

09:23 AM EDT, 10/14/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Healthcare stocks were edging higher pre-bell Wednesday, with the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) up 0.3% and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) advancing by 0.5%. Verastem (VSTM) shares were up more than 7% after the company said early data from its trial of VS-7375, a drug targeting KRAS G12D mutations, showed a 50% confirmed response rate in second-line pancreatic cancer and 43% in later-line lung cancer. Eton Pharmaceuticals (ETON) stock was up more than 1% after the company said it has signed an exclusive US licensing and supply agreement with Aquestive Therapeutics (AQST) for Aquestive's Libervant buccal film, a treatment for seizure clusters in patients with epilepsy. Alvotech (ALVO) shares were up more than 1% after the company and Advanz Pharma submitted a regulatory application for AVT29, a proposed biosimilar to Eylea 8 mg, in Europe.