Sanofi-Aventis SA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. won a Canadian federal court ruling dismissing an appeal by drugmaker Apotex Inc. that sought permission to market a generic version of the blood thinner Plavix. Apotex argued that it should be allowed to sell the drug because the patent for Plavix is invalid. Manufactured by Paris- based Sanofi and licensed by New York-based Bristol Myers, Plavix garnered $6.3 billion in global sales last year and is the biggest-selling drug for Bristol-Myers and the second-biggest product for Sanofi. Canadian appeals court Judge Marc Noel in Ottawa said arguments supporting the validity of the patent are ``amply supported by the record and unchallenged by Apotex,'' according to a Dec. 22 opinion upholding a lower court decision. The ruling is the second victory related to Plavix for Sanofi and Bristol Myers this month. On Dec. 8, they won a similar court ruling preventing Apotex from selling a generic version in the U.S. until a trial on the patent's validity.