Ticagrelor
Ticagrelor, sold as Brilinta, is the only product on this shelf: a 90 mg tablet that reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke after Acute Coronary Syndrome.
Key points
- Antiplatelet medicine: ticagrelor stops platelets from collecting and forming clots that may trigger a cardiac event.
- Carries a boxed warning for serious or life-threatening bleeding; you will bruise and bleed more easily while taking it.
- Stopping ticagrelor without medical guidance raises the risk of heart attack or stroke.
How does Ticagrelor work?
Ticagrelor blocks a receptor on platelets called P2Y12, the signal that tells them to stick together and form a clot. Without that signal, platelets stay separate and blood flows more freely through narrowed arteries. It sits in the Blood Thinners category.
