Two medicines, side by side
Clopidogrel vs ticagrelor
Clopidogrel and ticagrelor are both labeled for heart attack and coronary artery disease. Drugs@FDA records approvals of clopidogrel since 1997 and of ticagrelor since 2011. Pharmacies paid $0.0472 per clopidogrel 75 mg tablet and $0.253 per ticagrelor 90 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. How each works, in its label's words: Clopidogrel, “Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of platelet activation and aggregation through the irreversible binding of its active metabolite to the P2Y 12 class of ADP receptors on platelets.”; Ticagrelor, “Ticagrelor and its major metabolite reversibly interact with the platelet P2Y 12 ADP-receptor to prevent signal transduction and platelet activation.”
Check it at the source: the clopidogrel FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 30, 2025); the ticagrelor FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 7, 2026).
Highlights of the clopidogrel record
Clopidogrel (Plavix) · label of May 30, 2025
DIMINISHED ANTIPLATELET EFFECT IN PATIENTS WITH TWO LOSS-OF-FUNCTION ALLELES OF THE CYP2C19 GENE WARNING: DIMINISHED ANTIPLATELET EFFECT IN PATIENTS WITH TWO LOSS-OF-FUNCTION ALLELES OF THE CYP2C19 GENE See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Effectiveness of Plavix depends on conversion to an active metabolite by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system, principally CYP2C19. ( 5.1 , 12.3 ) Tests are available to identify patients who are CYP2C19 poor metabolizers.
Used for
From the label: indicationsPlavix is a P2Y 12 platelet inhibitor indicated for: Acute coronary syndrome – For patients with non–ST-segment elevation ACS (unstable angina [UA]/non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction [NSTEMI]), Plavix has been shown to reduce the rate of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. ( 1.1 ) – For patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), Plavix has been shown to reduce the rate of MI and stroke. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 17, 1997
- Generic labelers
- 35 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0472 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 6
Highlights of the ticagrelor record
Ticagrelor (Brilinta) · label of May 7, 2026
BLEEDING RISK
BRILINTA, like other antiplatelet agents, can cause significant, sometimes fatal bleeding ( 5.1 , 6.1 ).
Do not use BRILINTA in patients with active pathological bleeding or a history of intracranial hemorrhage
( 4.1 , 4.2 ).
Do not start BRILINTA in patients undergoing urgent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) ( 5.1 ,
6.1 ).
If possible, manage bleeding without discontinuing BRILINTA.
Used for
From the label: indicationsBRILINTA is a P2Y 12 platelet inhibitor indicated • to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or a history of MI. For at least the first 12 months following ACS, it is superior to clopidogrel. BRILINTA also reduces the risk of stent thrombosis in patients who have been stented for treatment of ACS. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 20, 2011
- Generic labelers
- 28 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.253 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Clopidogrel label of May 30, 2025, Ticagrelor label of May 7, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do clopidogrel and ticagrelor differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Clopidogrel, “Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of platelet activation and aggregation through the irreversible binding of its active metabolite to the P2Y 12 class of ADP receptors on platelets.”; Ticagrelor, “Ticagrelor and its major metabolite reversibly interact with the platelet P2Y 12 ADP-receptor to prevent signal transduction and platelet activation.”
Both are in FDA's class p2y12 platelet inhibitors.
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: clopidogrel since 2008; ticagrelor since 2018 (Drugs@FDA).
| Clopidogrel | Ticagrelor | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Heart attack and coronary artery disease, Angina | Heart attack and coronary artery disease, Stroke prevention |
| Pharmacologic class | P2Y12 Platelet Inhibitor | P2Y12 Platelet Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of platelet activation and aggregation through the irreversible binding of its active metabolite to the P2Y 12 class of ADP receptors on platelets. | Ticagrelor and its major metabolite reversibly interact with the platelet P2Y 12 ADP-receptor to prevent signal transduction and platelet activation. Ticagrelor and its active metabolite are approximately equipotent. |
| Half-life (label) | After a single, oral dose of 75 mg, clopidogrel has a half-life of approximately 6 hours. | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | November 17, 1997 | July 20, 2011 |
| First generic approved | January 14, 2008 | September 4, 2018 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 35 labelers | 28 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0472 per tablet (Clopidogrel 75 mg tablet) | $0.253 per tablet (Ticagrelor 90 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -15% | -43% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 6 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 211,001 | 31,712 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What do the labels say about using others of their kind?
Clopidogrel label, drug interactionsPromptly evaluate any signs or symptoms of blood loss if patients are treated concomitantly with other antiplatelet agents [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ].
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to clopidogrel
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions