The Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance issued the following statement on Friday: We welcome the decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's to affirm the US District Court's August 2020 decision finding the composition of matter (COM) patent (US 6,967,208) and formulation patent (US 9.326,945) covering Eliquis(R) valid and infringed. Given today's decision, the earliest that generic manufacturers are permitted to launch their apixaban products is 1 April 2028, subject to additional appeals and challenges.

We believe in the value of science behind Eliquis and its therapeutic potential for patients, and the underlying intellectual property protecting these innovations.

In 2007, US-based pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb entered into a worldwide collaboration to develop and commercialise apixaban, an oral anticoagulant discovered by Bristol-Myers Squibb. This global alliance combines Bristol-Myers Squibb's long-standing strengths in cardiovascular drug development and commercialisation with Pfizer's global scale and expertise in this field.