“Plavix market share is increasing as remaining generic inventory depletes,” says Jim Cornelius, the beleaguered drugmaker’s ceo, in the earnings statement just released.

File that remark under ”Been Down So Long, Looks Like Up to Me.”

Fourth-quarter Plavix sales fell 15 percent. The key issue, of course, is whether the company wins the patent fight in federal court, which got under way this week. Wall Street analysts are tripping over themselves to issue reports saying a victory is at hand, because the judge already ruled that Apotex had to take its generic Plavix off the market. And Apotex is also using the same losing arguments again.

Other earnings highlights:

Fourth-quarter profit was 19 cents, better than Wall Street estimates of 16 cents; overall revenue was down to $4.2 billion, thanks, in part, to a 47 percent decline in Pravachol sales since the cholesterol pill lost patent protection; and sales of the Reyataz HIV treatment jumped to 34 percent to $931 million.