AstraZeneca blood thinner Brilinta now available in USA

Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) said yesterday that Brilinta (ticagrelor) tablets, a new oral antiplatelet therapy, is now available in pharmacies in the USA.

After some hold ups at the agency due to questions regarding efficacy in American patients specifically, Brilinta finally gained approval from the US Food and Drug Administration last month (The Pharma Letter July 21, 2011, and is indicated to reduce the rate of thrombotic cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (unstable angina [UA], non--ST-elevation myocardial infarction [NSTEMI], or ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI]).

Also using the trade name Brilique, ticagrelor has already been cleared in 39 markets including the European Union, Australia, Brazil and Canada. The drug will compete with French drug major Sanofi’s antiplatelet agent Plavix (clopidogrel), which last year generated turnover of $9.8 billion but is now facing patent expiry (May 2012 in the USA). However, AstraZeneca has priced its blood thinner in the USA at $7.24 a day, a premium of nearly 20% on Plavix, which could make it uncompetitive once copy versions of clopidogrel appear, say some analysts.