3 September 2015 - AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Brilinta (ticagrelor) tablets at a new 60 mg dose to be used in patients with a history of heart attack beyond the first year. With this expanded indication, Brilinta is now approved to reduce the rate of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI, also known as heart attack) and stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or a history of MI.

Brilinta is an oral antiplatelet treatment that works by inhibiting platelet activation and was first approved by the FDA in July 2011 on the basis of data from the PLATO study. For at least the first 12 months following ACS, it is superior to clopidogrel and is the first and only oral antiplatelet to demonstrate superior reductions in cardiovascular death. Brilinta also reduces the rate of stent thrombosis in patients who have been stented for treatment of ACS. In the management of ACS, the recommended maintenance dose of Brilinta is 90 mg twice daily during the first year after the ACS event. After one year, patients with a history of heart attack can now be treated with 60 mg twice daily.

For more details, go to: http://www.astrazeneca.com/Media/Press-releases/Article/20150903