Brilinta

Brilinta is a prescription drug that is taken with aspirin to prevent blood clots in people with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Specifically, it is used in people who have been hospitalized with chest pain or have had a certain type of heart attack. The medication comes in tablet form and is taken twice daily. Side effects may include bleeding and shortness of breath.

What Is Brilinta?

Brilinta™ (ticagrelor) is a prescription medication approved to prevent harmful blood clots from forming in people who have been hospitalized with chest pain or have had a certain type of heart attack. These conditions are often known as acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Brilinta is also used in combination with aspirin to reduce the risk of future heart attacks, strokes, or blood clots in a stent (a tube placed in an artery of the heart during an angioplasty procedure).

(Click Brilinta Uses for more information on this topic, including possible off-label uses.)

Who Makes This Medication?

Brilinta is manufactured by AstraZeneca LP.

How Does Brilinta Work?

This medication is an antiplatelet drug. It helps to prevent blood platelets from sticking together (an important step in clot formation). Brilinta is similar to an older antiplatelet medication known as Plavix^® (clopidogrel).

Brilinta is intended to be taken with aspirin, which works with Brilinta to prevent platelets from sticking together. This medication and aspirin are similar but work on different types of receptors on the platelets.

Clinical Effects

Clinical studies have shown Brilinta to be more effective than Plavix (clopidogrel) for preventing heart-related deaths, as well as heart attacks. There was little or no difference between the two medications for preventing strokes.

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