The latest Market Talks covering the Health Care sector. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

1055 ET - The experimental mRNA-based vaccine from Moderna and Merck gives melanoma patients a lower risk of recurrence, Merck Research Laboratories president Dr. Dean Li tells CNBC. "Patients have a better chance of being disease-free, and for longer," Li says in an interview. The vaccine is being administered in combination with Merck's blockbuster cancer immunotherapy Keytruda to people who had surgery to remove melanoma. A late-stage study of the treatment met its goal of extending the time before cancer returns in high-risk patients. The companies aren't giving out detailed numbers from the study yet, though Li says a Phase 2 study of the treatment showed a 40% to 50% chance of having reduced risk of recurrence. Moderna shares climb 135% while Merck shares rise 11%. (dean.seal@wsj.com)

0322 ET - Foundation Healthcare looks well-placed to capture the shift from inpatient care to lower-cost outpatient care, OCBC Group Research's Troy Cheng says in a research report. Its healthcare ecosystem, which comprises specialist practices, medical centers, and its proprietary 'AVA®' technology platform, addresses inefficiencies in private specialist care, the analyst says. Foundation Healthcare's ownership of four medical centers allows it to capture facility and diagnostic revenues while enhancing control over patients' recovery path. The company is one of Singapore's largest and fastest-growing multi-specialty specialist platforms. OCBC initiates coverage of the stock with a buy rating and a fair value estimate of 1.13 Singapore dollars. Shares are 1.3% lower at S$0.755. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

0303 ET - Smith & Nephew announcing that CFO John Rogers resigned to take a new position in the U.S. is unlikely to be taken well by the market, J.P. Morgan Securities analysts say in a note. The medical technology company's CFO has been instrumental in the business's margin improvement--although it wasn't as much as planned due to external headwinds--the analysts say. "He was generally seen as a good communicator and was well regarded and so we see this news as an incremental negative that is likely to see the shares off low single-digit to mid single-digit." (anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)

0243 ET - Q&M Dental's earnings prospects appear promising to OCBC Group Research's Troy Cheng, who cites the dental healthcare company's potential deals in Australia and Thailand as possible profit drivers. The company's 1H profit after tax and minority interests rose 27% from a year earlier thanks to growth in its core dental business, supported by consolidation of a subsidiary, he notes. Its potential acquisition of Australia's Experteeth and purchase of a stake in Deezy in Thailand are likely to significantly expand its Asia-Pacific footprint and diversify its earnings geographically, the analyst says. OCBC reiterates its buy rating and fair-value estimate of 0.76 Singapore dollar on Q&M's long-term prospects. Shares are flat at S$0.55. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)

2236 ET - Kossan Rubber Industries' proposed acquisition of cleanroom-product distributors looks positive, as this aligns with its long-term strategy of differentiating itself from its Chinese peers through specialized rubber gloves, including cleanroom gloves, Hong Leong IB analyst Chee Kok Siang says in a note. The acquisitions could leverage the targets' established distribution capabilities and generate potential synergies, he says. The targets are expected to contribute about 6.1% and 5.6% to Kossan's core profit in 2027 and 2028, respectively, he adds. Hong Leong maintains a hold rating on Kossan and keeps its target price at 1.24 ringgit. Shares are 0.9% higher at 1.11 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

2125 ET - KPJ Healthcare's 2H earnings could pick up, driven by higher revenue intensity, patient volumes and continued cost optimization, says TA Securities analyst Tan Kong Jin in a note. Health tourism remains a key growth area, with its contribution to KPJ at about 6.5%, versus around 15% for peers IHH Healthcare and Sunway Healthcare, he notes. KPJ plans to expand its centers of excellence to 15 over the next five years, focusing on stroke, cancer, cardiovascular and orthopaedic care. It also targets adding about 2,200 beds to reach 6,270 by end-2030, on rising demand for private healthcare from an ageing population, he adds. TA Securities has a buy rating and target price of 3.61 ringgit. Shares are 2.6% higher at 3.10 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)

Imaging-tech provider Pro Medicus had a strong FY26 and expressed optimism about the future, but the stock doesn't look cheap to Jefferies. Pro Medicus has signaled increasing levels of wholesale adoption of its Cloud product. It also sees customers opting for all three core products--Viewer, Archive and Worklist--with its cardiology module. "We acknowledge the proven quality of the business, but note that at a share price of circa A$200.00, our analysis suggests the market is assuming Pre Medicus will have a market share of the U.S. PACS-only market of circa 38% by FY35," analyst David Stanton says. That looks aggressive, he adds. Jefferies retains a hold call on Pro Medicus and raises its price target by 4.3% to A$196.40/share. Pro Medicus ended Tuesday at A$196.75. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)

1831 ET - Cochlear's opportunities for near-term growth are limited by persistent payer constraints, Jefferies analysts warn. They tell clients in a note they are seeing an increase in prior authorization rejections in U.S. healthcare, which the Australian hearing-implant maker will have to contend with. Higher out-of-pocket costs could lead to delays in higher-priced procedures such as cochlear implants, they warn. The analysts also point to external analysis suggesting that insurers denied between 12% and 18% of U.S. standard prior authorization requests in 2025. They raise their target price 13% to 144.75 Australian dollars, but stay neutral on the stock. Shares are at A$141.20 ahead of the open.