02:56 PM EST, 03/06/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Pfizer ( PFE ) won a US appeals court ruling on Wednesday that upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit that alleged the drugmaker's Breakthrough Fellowship Program excluded white and Asian-American applicants.

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the 2022 decision of a district court denying the Do No Harm group's request for a preliminary injunction and dismissed the case because the group lacked standing to challenge the diversity program.

The district court cited the group's failure to identify any individual members affected by the alleged discrimination.

The appeals court said the district court had properly dismissed Do No Harm's claims.

Pfizer ( PFE ) welcomed the ruling, saying it was an "equal opportunity employer and is proud of its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion," Reuters quoted the company as saying in a statement.

Neither Pfizer ( PFE ) nor Do No Harm immediately responded to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

Pfizer ( PFE ) shares were 4% higher in recent trading.

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