AstraZeneca's Brilinta gains Class I in ACCF/AHA Guidelines; enters deal with Progenics

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) announced yesterday that a combined panel of experts from the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and American Heart Association (AHA) have updated their guidelines to include a Class I recommendation for use of the oral antiplatelet (OAP) medicine Brilinta (ticagrelor) tablets in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) managed invasively.

With this latest guidelines update, Brilinta is included in more than 10 major acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treatment guidelines globally. A Class I recommendation is the highest recommendation provided by the guidelines committee, the company noted.

“The US Cardiology community is again acknowledging the clinical value of Brilinta,” said James Ferguson, executive director, medical affairs and strategic development, US, and vice president for global medical affairs at AstraZeneca, adding: “This significant milestone, along with the inclusion in the NSTEMI Guidelines in July, solidifies the position of Brilinta in multiple ACS guidelines as an important part of standard of care for both STEMI and NSTEMI patients.”