Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Lower Tuesday Afternoon

01:44 PM EDT, 09/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Healthcare stocks were edging down Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index fractionally lower and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) down 0.1%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was down 1.3%. In corporate news, GSK (GSK) agreed to acquire global rights to an experimental T-cell engager therapy for multiple myeloma from Chinese biotechnology company Chimagen Biosciences in a deal worth up to $750 million, as the UK drugmaker aims to strengthen its blood cancer treatment portfolio. GSK shares were nearly flat. Gilead Sciences (GILD) said Tuesday it entered into an agreement with the Pan American Health Organization to expand access to twice-yearly lenacapavir as pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. The agreement creates a new access pathway for 14 PAHO member states in Latin America and the Caribbean outside existing voluntary licensing agreements, complementing generic access efforts across the region, the company said. Gilead shares were slightly lower. Ascendis Pharma (ASND) will regain exclusive rights to certain drug treatments for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, including obesity, having terminated a 2024 collaboration deal with Novo Nordisk (NVO), the company said. Ascendis shares fell over 12%, and Novo was down 1.8%.