February 23, 2012 — AstraZeneca announced that the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) has updated its guidelines on Antithrombotic Therapy and Prevention of Thrombosis to include a recommendation for giving the oral antiplatelet medicine, BRILINTA (ticagrelor) tablets with low-dose aspirin, to patients who suffer from acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Specifically, the guidelines state:
For patients in the first year after an ACS who have not undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI):
- Recommended dual antiplatelet therapy (ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily plus low-dose aspirin 75-100 mg daily or clopidogrel 75 mg daily plus low-dose aspirin 75-100 mg daily) over single antiplatelet therapy (Grade 1B).
- Suggested ticagrelor plus low-dose aspirin over clopidogrel plus low-dose aspirin (Grade 2B).
For patients in the first year after an ACS who have undergone PCI with stent placement:
- Recommended dual antiplatelet therapy (ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily plus low-dose aspirin 75-100 mg daily, clopidogrel 75 mg daily plus low-dose aspirin, or prasugrel 10 mg daily plus low-dose aspirin) over single antiplatelet therapy (Grade 1B).
- Suggested ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily plus low-dose aspirin over clopidogrel 75 mg daily plus low-dose aspirin (Grade 2B).
This is the first time clinical treatment guidelines in the United States have specifically suggested use of BRILINTA over clopidogrel.
“This new recommendation from ACCP is recognition of the clinical benefits of BRILINTA demonstrated in the PLATO trial,” said Alex Gold, executive director of Clinical Development, BRILINTA, AstraZeneca. “In the months since [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] approval, BRILINTA has become an important treatment option for patients with ACS.”
The revised guidelines are available online at http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org and are published in the February 2012 issue of CHEST.
For more information: www.astrazeneca-us.com
February 16, 2024 
