Trending News Today: Democrats Move to Appeal Obamacare Ruling

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced on Thursday it would acquire Celgene in a $74 billion dollar deal, the New York Times reported. BMS said in a statement that the deal will allow the manufacturers to advance their work in oncology, cardiovascular disease, immunology, and inflammation, according to the article. The 2 companies produce 9 drugs between them with annual sales of more than $1 billion apiece, according to BMS.

A coalition of 17 Democratic states filed notice to appeal a recent federal court ruling that threatened to overturn Obamacare, The Hill reported. According to the article, Judge Reed O’Connor ruled last month that the law could not stand without the individual mandate penalty, but issued another ruling that Obamacare remain in effect while his decision is appealed. Democrats argue the ruling violates congressional intent because Congress left the rest of the law standing when it repealed the penalty, the article reported.

A woman who was treated at a New Jersey surgical facility where thousands of patients may have been exposed to HIV and other blood-borne pathogens has tested positive for hepatitis B, Reuters reported. According to the article, the woman is the first of 3778 former patients known to claim infection due to faulty sterilization and medication practices at the facility. A lawsuit accuses the facility of “recklessly and negligently” failing to follow sterilization and other procedures, the article noted.