Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Softer in Afternoon Trading

01:45 PM EDT, 10/02/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Healthcare stocks declined Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index easing 0.2% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) decreasing 0.3%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was shedding 0.7%. In corporate news, Integra LifeSciences (IART) shares fell nearly 20% after the company reported preliminary Q3 adjusted earnings of $0.55 to $0.59 per diluted share and cut its 2026 outlook. Novartis (NVS) entered into a licensing and option agreement with Abogen Biosciences to advance RNA-encoded therapeutics, Abogen said Friday. Abogen will receive $575 million upfront and remains eligible for up to $7.2 billion in milestone payments plus potential sales royalties, it said. Novartis shares fell 0.6%. AstraZeneca (AZN) and Japan's Daiichi Sankyo have partnered with Summit Therapeutics (SMMT) to test their drug Datroway plus ivonescimab to treat lung, breast, and other cancers, the companies said Friday. AstraZeneca shares were down 0.6%, and Summit rose 0.8%.