PLAVIX® is soon to go the way of LIPITOR® i.e., a multibillion drug with an expired patent. The loss of exclusivity on the 7 billion dollar anticoagulant is expected to result in a 13% loss in sales revenue for Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2012. Despite the impending revenue bust, Forbes named BMS the “Best Big Drug Company in 2011.” Pfizer, Abbott and Lilly all enjoyed a very respectable + 15% increase in stock price in 2011 but BMS achieved an almost incredible +32%. As usual, innovation made the difference. Two BMS new drugs, YERVOY® and ELIQUIS® are expected to be leaders in their respective classes.
YERVOY(iplimumab injection), has been shown to extend the life of metastic melanoma patients an average of 10 months. It is the first oncology drug to achieve that goal. Iplimumab is a monoclonal antibody which binds CTLA4, a protein that inhibits T-cell activity. Enahnced T-cell activity can increase immune response to certain tumors.
ELIQUIS (apixaban) was shown to be more efficacious than warfarin in reducing the risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation.Warfarin is the gold standard for this indication. Apixaban is a direct factor Xa Inhibitor. Factor Xa acts by cleaving prothrombin into thrombin, a major step in the coagulation cascade. Oral administration, predictable, outcomes and a reduced need for patient monitoring are some noteworthy advantages of ELIQUIS.
YERVOY was submitted for regulatory approval in May 2011. An NDA for ELIQUIS, already approved in the EU, was submitted to FDA in November 2011 and granted a priority review status.
It seems the market is responding not only to the novelty of these products in their respective therapeutic areas but to the BMS business strategy. YERVOY was obtained with the $2.4 billion acquisition of Medarex in 2009. ELIQUIS was developed and commercialized in collaboration with Pfizer, a global leader in the cardiovascular therapeutic field. Innovation in both science and business is a combination that’s hard to beat.
Key Article http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2011/12/26/the-best-big-drug-company-of-2011/
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