How it works

Brilinta is a brand (trade) name for ticagrelor, which is given to people who have had a heart attack or who have acute coronary syndrome (ACS) along with aspirin to reduce their risk of having a stroke or other heart problems.

Brilinta works differently than other antiplatelet medications like aspirin, clopidogrel, and prasugrel. Although it still inhibits ADP (adenosine-5-diphosphate), which is essential for blood clotting, it does so by reversibly binding to a receptor on the platelet surface called P2Y12. In contrast to other antiplatelet agents such as clopidogrel and prasugrel, which bind irreversibly for the life of the platelet, reversible binding means that platelet activity is restored once Brilinta concentrations fall below a certain level.

Brilinta keeps platelets in your blood from clumping together and forming an unwelcome blood clot that could block an artery. Platelets are small blood cells that clump and stick together to repair a blood vessel. Brilinta keeps the blood flowing freely.

Brilinta is a platelet aggregation inhibitor, which is a type of medication. It is also known as a P2Y12 inhibitor and an antiplatelet agent.