Oct 31 (Reuters) - Bristol Myers Squibb ( BMY ) posted

better-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Thursday citing

strong sales of established drugs like blood thinner Eliquis and

cancer treatment Revlimid as well as newer drugs like heart

treatment Camzyos and cancer cell therapy Breyanzi.

The drugmaker said it earned $3.7 billion in the quarter, or

$1.80 per share, compared with $4.1 billion, or $2 per share a

year earlier. Analysts, on average, expected the company to earn

$1.49 a share in the quarter, according to LSEG data.

Revenue rose 8% to $11.89 billion. That compares with

analyst forecasts of $11.28 billion.

Sales of blood cancer drug Revlimid, which now has generic

competition, dropped 11% to $1.41 billion in the quarter, but

topped analyst expectations of $1.11 billion. Eliquis sales rose

11% in the quarter to $3 billion, compared with analyst

estimates of $2.83 billion.

"The legacy portfolio has continued to contribute a

significant amount of cash flow to the company, and that's

enabled us to deleverage and strengthen the balance sheet,"

Chief Financial Officer David Elkins said in an interview.

"But the majority of the growth of the company overall ...

was really driven by the growth portfolio growing 20% versus

prior year," Elkins said.

Sales of Breyanzi and Camzyos more than doubled

year-over-year.

Bristol Myers also raised its full-year earnings forecast to

75 to 95 cents a share, up from 60 to 90 cents a share

previously. Analysts had previously forecast full year earnings

of around 71 cents a share.