Abbott Laboratories and a unit of Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc were cleared by a jury over claims they hid risks their premature-infant formulas can cause a bowel disease that severely sickened a baby boy.

Abbott Laboratories shares rose nearly 5% before the bell on Friday, after a jury cleared the company and a Reckitt unit of liability in a lawsuit over their premature baby formulas' risks.

A court in St. Louis, Missouri ruled in favor of Abbott Laboratories and Reckitt Benckiser over claims their specialized baby formula caused users to develop a bowel disease called NEC