Health Care Up Amid Drug Development Hopes -- Health Care Roundup

Health-care companies rose amid optimism about drug developments.

Pfizer shares ticked up after reports experts advising the Food and Drug Administration were meeting to consider endorsing the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech for use in young children, following promising reports of efficacy from clinical trials.

Shares of Eli Lilly rose after it divulged that it's begun the process of seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for a new treatment for early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

Reckitt Benckiser Group said demand for its cold and the flu products was picking up as social distancing eases, offsetting the easing of demand for sanitizing products such as Lysol.

Novartis shares rose after the Swiss drug maker posted third-quarter earnings growth and said it may divest itself of generic-drug unit Sandoz.

Shares of Israeli generic-drugs giant Teva Pharmaceutical tumbled ahead of its earnings report, with some analysts pointing to Novartis's struggles with Sandoz as an explanation.

Write to Rob Curran at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-26-21 1701ET