FORM Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation ("DTC"), to the issuer or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein. BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY 6.875% Debenture due August 1, 2097 REGISTERED CUSIP No. BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the "Company", which term includes any successor under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal sum of $300,000,000 at the office or agency of the Company in New York, New York designated for such purpose by the Company (on the date hereof, the principal corporate Trust Office of the Trustee mentioned below, located at 450 West 33rd Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10001), in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts, and to pay interest on said principal sum semiannually on February 1 and August 1 of each year, commencing February 1, 1998, at said office or agency (except as provided below), in like coin or currency, at the rate per annum specified in the title hereof, such interest to accrue from August 1, 1997, until payment of said principal sum has been made or duly provided for. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any February 1 or August 1 will, except as provided in the Indenture dated as of June 1, 1993 (herein called the "Indenture"; capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Indenture), duly executed and delivered by the Company to The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee (herein called the "Trustee"), be paid to the Person in whose name this Debenture (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the next preceding January 15 or July 15, respectively (herein called the "Regular Record Date"), whether or not a Business Day, and may, at the option of the Company, be paid by check mailed to the registered address of such Person. Any such interest which is payable, but is not so punctually paid or duly provided for, shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on such Regular Record Date and may be paid either to the Person in whose name this Debenture (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall E-4-1 be given to Holders Debentures not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Debentures may be listed and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, such manner of payment shall be deemed practical by the Trustee, all as more fully provided in the Indenture. Initially, the Trustee will be the Paying Agent and the Security Registrar with respect to this Debenture. The Company reserves the right at any time to vary or terminate the appointment of any Paying Agent or Security Registrar, to appoint additional or other Paying Agents and other Security Registrars and to approve any change in the office through which any Paying Agent or Security Registrar acts; provided that there will at all times be a Paying Agent in The City of New York. This Debenture is one of the duly authorized issue of debt securities (hereinafter called the "Securities") of the Company, of the series hereinafter specified, all issued or to be issued under and pursuant to the Indenture, to which Indenture and all other indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the rights and limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee and any agent of the Trustee, any Paying Agent, the Company and the Holders of the Securities and the terms upon which the Securities are issued and are to be authenticated and delivered. The Securities may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts, may mature at different times, may bear interest (if any) at different rates, may be subject to different redemption provisions (if any), may be subject to different sinking, purchase or analogous funds (if any), may be subject to different covenants and Events of Default and may otherwise vary as provided or permitted in the Indenture. This Debenture is one of the series of Securities of the Company issued pursuant to the Indenture designated as the 6.875% Debentures due August 1, 2097 (herein called the "Debentures"), limited in aggregate principal amount to $300,000,000. The Debentures will be redeemable as a whole or in part, at the option of the Company at any time, at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of such Debentures and (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate (as defined below) plus 15 basis points, plus in each case, accrued interest thereon to the date of redemption. "Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date. "Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security selected by a Quotation Agent as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Debentures to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Debentures. "Quotation Agent" means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company. "Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any redemption date, (i) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue E-4-2 (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) on the third business day preceding such redemption date, as set forth in the daily statistical release (or any successor release) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and designated "Composite 3:30 p.m. Quotations for U.S. Government Securities" or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not published or does not contain such prices on such business day, (A) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (B) if the Trustee obtains fewer than three such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations. "Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Treasury Reference Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third business day preceding such redemption date. "Reference Treasury Dealer" means (i) Goldman, Sachs & Co. and their successors; provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a "Primary Treasury Dealer"), the Company shall substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer; and (ii) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Trustee after consultation with the Company. Notice of any redemption will be mailed at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each holder of the Debentures to be redeemed. Unless the Company defaults in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date interest will cease to accrue on the Debentures or portions thereof called for redemption. Upon the occurrence of a Tax Event (as defined below), the Company, without the consent of the holders of the Debentures, will have the right, but not the obligation, to shorten the maturity of the Debentures to the minimum extent required, in the opinion of nationally recognized independent tax counsel, so that, after the shortening of the maturity, interest paid on the Debentures will be deductible by the Company for United States federal income tax purposes or, if such counsel is unable to opine definitively as to such a minimum period, the minimum extent so required as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company after receipt of an opinion of such counsel regarding the applicable legal standards. In the event that the Company elects to exercise its right to shorten the maturity of the Debentures on the occurrence of a Tax Event, the Company will mail a notice of shortened maturity to each Holder of the Debentures by first-class mail not more than 60 days after the occurrence of such Tax Event, stating the new maturity date of the Debentures. Such notice shall be effective immediately upon mailing. "Tax Event" means that the Company shall have received an opinion of nationally recognized independent tax counsel to the effect that, as a result of (a) any amendment to, clarification of, or change (including any announced prospective amendment, clarification or change) in any law, or any regulation thereunder, of the United States, (b) any judicial decision, official administrative pronouncement, ruling, regulatory procedure, regulation, notice or announcement, including any notice or announcement of intent to adopt or promulgate any ruling, regulatory procedure or regulation (any of the foregoing, an "Administrative or Judicial Action"), or (c) any amendment to, clarification of or change in any official position with respect to, or any E-4-3 interpretation of, any Administrative or Judicial Action or a law or regulation of the United States that differs from the theretofore generally accepted position or interpretation, in each case, occurring on or after August 12, 1997, there is more than insubstantial risk that interest paid by the Company on the Debentures is not, or will not be, deductible, in whole or in part, by the Company for United States federal income tax purposes. The Debentures will not be entitled to the benefit of a sinking fund. If an Event of Default with respect to the Debentures shall occur and be continuing, the principal of all of the Debentures may be declared due and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture. The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the Company and the Trustee to enter into supplemental indentures to the Indenture for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of the Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series under the Indenture with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected thereby on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series. The Indenture also permits the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults and their consequences with respect to such series under the Indenture. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Debenture shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Debenture and of any Debenture issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Debenture or such other Debentures. No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Debenture or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, and any premium and any interest on this Debenture at the place, rate and respective times and in the coin or currency herein and in the Indenture prescribed. As provided in the Indenture and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions therein set forth, including the deposit of certain trust funds in trust, at the Company's option, either the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by, and the obligations under, the Securities of any series and to have satisfied all the obligations (with certain exceptions) under the Indenture relating to the Securities of such series or the Company shall cease to be under any obligation to comply with any term, provision or condition of certain restrictive covenants or provisions with respect to the Securities of such series. The Debentures are issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000. Debentures may be exchanged for a like aggregate principal amount and Stated Maturity of Debentures of other authorized denominations at the office or agency of the Company in New York, New York, designated for such purpose by the Company (on the date hereof, the principal Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, located at 450 West 33rd Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10001), and in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture. Upon due presentment for registration of transfer of this Debenture at the office or agency of the Company in New York, New York, designated for such purpose by the Company (on the date hereof, the principal Corporate Trust E-4-4 Office of the Trustee, located at 450 West 33rd Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10001), duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee and the Security Registrar duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, a new Debenture or Debentures of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount and Stated Maturity will be issued to the transferee in exchange therefor, subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture. No charge shall be made for any such transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of this Debenture, the Company, the Trustee and any agency Of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Debenture is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Debenture is overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary. This Debenture shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York. Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been manually executed by or on behalf of the Trustee under the Indenture, this Debenture shall not be entitled any benefits under the Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY has caused this Debenture to be duly executed under its corporate seal. Dated: BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY, by -------------------------------------- Name: Title: [Seal] Attest: - -------------------------------- Name: Title: E-4-5 TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture. THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as Trustee, by ---------------------------------------- Authorized Officer E-4-6