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JNJ -0.12%

PZE -0.72%

MRK -0.38%

ABT -0.07%

AMGN +0.33%

Health care stocks were broadly higher today with the NYSE Health Care Sector Index adding about 0.5% and shares of health care companies in the S&P 500 climbing 0.3% as a group.

In company news, Celldex Therapeutics ( CLDX ) rallied Monday after U.S regulators designated the company's rindopepimut drug candidate as a Breakthrough Therapy for adult patients with a specific type of brain tumor.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations uses breakthrough-therapy designation to expedite the development and review of drugs for serious or life-threatening conditions. Typically, the agency makes its decision based on data from at least clinical trial demonstrating the drug may offer substantial improvement over other currently available therapies.

The company rindopepimut drug candidate targets EGFRvIII-positive glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer and whose patients often have a worse prognosis than the general glioblastoma population, including shorter long-term survivals.

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Health Care Sector Update for 02/23/2015: CLDX,RIGL,SPPI