iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) belongs to the Health & Biotech Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with IHE. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IHE
IHE charges 0.38% annually. There are 14 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF | 0.08% | 3.22B | Oct 2013 | IHE vs FHLC | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.08% | 41.65B | Dec 1998 | IHE vs XLV | |
| Vanguard Health Care ETF | 0.09% | 19.00B | Jan 2004 | IHE vs VHT | |
| Portfolio Building Block World Pharma and Biotech ... | 0.13% | 951.16M | Nov 2025 | IHE vs PBPH | |
| GSK plc ADRhedged ETF | 0.19% | 793.18K | Jan 2025 | IHE vs GSKH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IHE
IHE has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 94. There are 3 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 96 | 57.56M | Dec 2014 | IHE vs BBC | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 95 | 213.08M | Dec 2014 | IHE vs SBIO | |
| SPDR S&P Biotech ETF | 94 | 11.10B | Feb 2006 | IHE vs XBI | |
| iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF | 93 | 5.85M | Aug 2022 | IHE vs IBRN | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | 93 | 36.36M | Sep 2016 | IHE vs FTXH |
Top Performing IHE Alternatives (YTD)
IHE is at 18.61% YTD. There are 16 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 40.11%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARK Genomic Revolution Multi-Sector ETF | 40.11% | 1.31B | Oct 2014 | IHE vs ARKG | |
| AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 35.29% | 44.37M | Sep 2021 | IHE vs PSIL | |
| Roundhill UNH WeeklyPay ETF | 34.33% | 6.01M | Dec 2025 | IHE vs UNHW | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 33.14% | 57.56M | Dec 2014 | IHE vs BBC | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 27.56% | 213.08M | Dec 2014 | IHE vs SBIO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IHE
IHE has 18.09% 1-year volatility. There are 24 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF | 0.00% | 12.73M | Oct 2015 | IHE vs CNCR | |
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | IHE vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | 8.64% | 10.11M | Jun 2007 | IHE vs SPAQ | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 10.87% | 16.78M | Jul 2025 | IHE vs XLVI | |
| Milliman Healthcare Inflation Plus ETF | 11.73% | 982.35K | Apr 2026 | IHE vs MHIP |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IHE
IHE has a 1-year max drawdown of -8.47%. There are 4 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | IHE vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | -4.32% | 10.11M | Jun 2007 | IHE vs SPAQ | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | -7.47% | 36.36M | Sep 2016 | IHE vs FTXH | |
| Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF | -8.34% | 74.65M | Jun 2021 | IHE vs IBBQ | |
| iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF | -8.80% | 5.85M | Aug 2022 | IHE vs IBRN |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, SOXX and span 14 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $894B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.92% | 97.69B | May 2020 | IHE vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 1 | -29.06% | 46.82B | Jan 2024 | IHE vs IBIT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 93 | 84.03% | 47.60B | Jul 2001 | IHE vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 66 | 10.46% | 894.38B | May 2000 | IHE vs IVV | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 13 | -1.48% | 42.18B | Jul 2002 | IHE vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 86 | 12.23% | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | IHE vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 27 | -19.03% | 28.37B | Apr 2006 | IHE vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -7.29% | 60.94B | Jan 2005 | IHE vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 69 | 19.72% | 83.34B | May 2000 | IHE vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 63 | 10.93% | 33.36B | Mar 2008 | IHE vs ACWI |
Often Compared With IHE
Investors most often compare IHE with PPH, XPH, VYM. These 20 comparison targets span 9 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IHE with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IHE with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IHE with funds that move differently
iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IHE.
Explore IHE Diversifiers