NEW YORK, Jan 6, 2026, 08:02 EST — Premarket
- Health Canada approved AbbVie’s Maviret for acute and chronic hepatitis C in adults and children aged 3 and older
- AbbVie shares were flat premarket after falling about 4% in the prior session
- Focus turns to AbbVie’s Jan. 14 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference appearance and Friday’s U.S. jobs report
AbbVie shares were flat in premarket trading on Tuesday after the drugmaker said Health Canada had approved its hepatitis C pill Maviret for both acute and chronic infection. AbbVie stock last traded at $220.18.
The expanded label matters because it opens the door to treatment soon after diagnosis, when infections are recent and transmission risk can be higher. The company said the eight-week, pan-genotypic regimen — meaning it works across major virus types — is now cleared in Canada for acute and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV).
AbbVie fell 3.98% on Monday, lagging a broader market rise and dropping more than peers including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Amgen. Energy shares powered the rally after a U.S. military strike captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, pushing the Dow to a record high, Reuters reported.
“Early detection and treatment” of acute hepatitis C is “critical” to meeting the World Health Organization’s 2030 elimination target, said Dr. Brian Conway of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. Rami Fayed, vice president and general manager of AbbVie Canada, said the decision “addresses an unmet need” and supports a “treatment-as-prevention” approach — treating quickly to curb spread — while Action Hepatitis Canada’s Jennifer van Gennip said “we need every tool that reduces harm and increases access.” Newswire
AbbVie said Health Canada granted the decision under Priority Review, an accelerated pathway, based on data from the Phase 3 M20-350 study. The most reported side effects were diarrhea, fatigue and nasopharyngitis, the company said.
Investors are now looking to the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference next week in San Francisco for fresh signals from the sector, after a choppy start to January for drug stocks. The conference runs Jan. 12-15 and typically draws close scrutiny for pipeline updates and outlooks.
Macro data could also steer risk appetite. The U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for December is due on Friday, Jan. 9, a release that can sway bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts and drive shifts between defensive and cyclical sectors.
But the hepatitis C market has matured and label expansions do not always translate into meaningful sales gains, especially if payers hold the line on access and pricing. Investors will also weigh whether any management comments point to pressure on margins or demand across AbbVie’s portfolio.
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