Health-care companies fell, but not by as much as the broad market, as investors remained optimistic about vaccine developments.

Pfizer shares rose after it and partner BioNTech asked U.S. health regulators on Friday to permit use of their Covid-19 vaccine, a milepost in months of frantic efforts to find a medicine that could beat back a rampaging pandemic.

The World Health Organization said it recommends against the use of remdesivir, the antiviral drug for Covid-19 made by Gilead Sciences, after concluding that there isn't evidence that the drug reduces deaths or recovery times.

Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

11-20-20 1707ET