European stocks open higher supported by mining and healthcare companies

European stocks opened higher on Wednesday, as mining stocks led gains thanks to higher metal prices, while Swiss pharmaceutical Roche supported health care stocks.

And by 0707 GMT, the European Stoxx 600 index rose 0.4 percent.

Mining stocks rose 0.9 percent as prices of most industrial minerals rose.

Roche shares jumped 3.1 percent after the Swiss drugmaker inadvertently released trial data for its new treatment for lung cancer.

The broader index of the health care sector rose 0.8 percent.

Societe Generale shares rose 2 percent.