Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi-Aventis retain market exclusivity for Plavix

NEW YORK Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis will continue to have market exclusivity for the drug Plavix until 2011, an appeals court ruled Friday.

Generic drug maker failed to convince the court?s three-judge panel that Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate), a blood-thinning drug, was not a novel enough drug to warrant market exclusivity.

Bristol has said it lost $1.75 billion in sales on the drug after Apotex began making its generic version. Bristol and Sanofi have said they will seek reimbursement.