Health-care companies rose amid anticipation of continued deal activity.

Earlier this week, AbbVie agreed to buy mental-health drug maker Cerevel Therapeutics for $8.7 billion, less than a week after divulging a multibillion dollar agreement to buy Immunogen; meanwhile Swiss drug giant Roche Holding agreed to buy California-based biotechnology company Carmot Therapeutics for up to $3.1 billion.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first medicine employing Crispr, or gene-editing technology.

The medicine, called Casgevy and developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Crispr Therapeutics, was approved for the treatment of painful sickle-cell disease.


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

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-08-23 1728ET