Health Care Dips On Affordable Care Act Doubts - Health Care Roundup

Shares of health-care companies declined as doubts over the viability of the Affordable Care Act exchanges persisted. Some insurers indicated they will seek price increases of as much as 30% on 2018 plans offered on the exchanges. In a breakthrough in gene-editing technology, an international group of researchers reported they have edited the genes of a viable human embryo to correct a disease-causing defect. The scientific breakthrough generated ethics concerns, given the potential for "designer babies." Shares of Spark Therapeutics rallied after the maker of gene therapies said patients in a clinical trial of a treatment for a vision disorder showed improvement. Spark could be the first company to get a gene therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration. PharMerica rose after the pharmacy-services company agreed to be bought by a consortium led by leveraged-buyout firm KKR and Walgreens Boots Alliance for about $1.4 billion.

-Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 02, 2017 16:31 ET (20:31 GMT)