Prescription medication · P2Y12 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet)
ticagrelor
Also sold as Brilinta. Ticagrelor is used to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 30,895
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 17
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- $7.21
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
ticagrelor (Brilinta) is a prescription P2Y12 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet), reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (30,895 FDA reports), with 17 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
ticagrelor (Brilinta) is a prescription P2Y12 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet). Ticagrelor is used to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
Ticagrelor is a drug that helps to prevent blood clots. It is used to lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, and death if you have heart problems.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$7.21/unit
Generic Available
Yes (16 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Ticagrelor is used to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
Common side effects
Bleeding, Shortness of breath
Key warnings
Ticagrelor can cause serious bleeding, which can sometimes be fatal.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from ticagrelor's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Ticagrelor is a P2Y12 inhibitor. This means it blocks a substance in your blood called P2Y12. By blocking P2Y12, ticagrelor helps prevent platelets from sticking together and forming blood clots.
How to Take It
Take ticagrelor exactly as your doctor tells you. For ACS or a history of MI, you'll usually start with a 180 mg dose. Then, you will take 90 mg twice a day for the first year. After one year, your doctor may lower your dose to 60 mg twice a day. For acute ischemic stroke, you'll usually start with a 180 mg dose, then continue with 90 mg twice daily for up to 30 days. Take ticagrelor with 75 to 100 mg of aspirin daily, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
This is a plain-language summary of ticagrelor's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Animal studies suggest a risk to the fetus. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking ticagrelor.
This is a plain-language summary of ticagrelor's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take your next dose at the scheduled time. Do not take two doses at once to make up for the missed dose.
This is a plain-language summary of ticagrelor's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store ticagrelor tablets at room temperature, between 68°F and 77°F.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 30,895 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for ticagrelor, by number of reports
- Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath
3,952 reports
- Heart attack
Heart attack
2,741 reports
- Death
Death
1,714 reports
- Tiredness 1,525
Tiredness
1,525 reports
- Chest pain 1,445
Chest pain
1,445 reports
- Feeling dizzy 1,223
Feeling dizzy
1,223 reports
- Bruise 1,066
Bruise
1,066 reports
- Interaction with another medicine 929
Interaction with another medicine
929 reports
- Weakness 909
Weakness
909 reports
- Feeling unwell 879
Feeling unwell
879 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for ticagrelor each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where ticagrelor sits
ticagrelor has more FDA adverse-event reports than 64% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is ticagrelor; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 30,895 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2008–2025.
Total Reports
30,895
Reports Mentioning Death
3,383
10.9% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
11,745
Top Indication
Acute Coronary Syndrome
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DYSPNOEA | 3,952 |
| 2 | MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 2,741 |
| 3 | DEATH | 1,714 |
| 4 | FATIGUE | 1,525 |
| 6 | CHEST PAIN | 1,445 |
| 7 | DIZZINESS | 1,223 |
| 8 | CONTUSION | 1,066 |
| 9 | DRUG INTERACTION | 929 |
| 10 | ASTHENIA | 909 |
| 11 | MALAISE | 879 |
| 12 | HAEMORRHAGE | 861 |
| 13 | NAUSEA | 836 |
| 15 | CHEST DISCOMFORT | 745 |
| 16 | HEADACHE | 731 |
| 17 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 728 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Ticagrelor can cause serious bleeding, which can sometimes be fatal. You should not take this medicine if you have active bleeding or a history of bleeding in the brain. Do not start ticagrelor if you are going to have urgent heart bypass surgery (CABG). If possible, manage any bleeding without stopping ticagrelor. Stopping ticagrelor can increase your risk of heart problems.
Known Drug Interactions
Anticoagulants and Antiplatelets Ticagrelor Contraindicated during and 2 weeks after itraconazole treatment.
Mechanism: Itraconazole slows down the breakdown of ticagrelor in your system, which can increase the risk of bleeding.
What to do: You must not take these medications together or within two weeks of stopping your itraconazole treatment.
( 7.3) • Patients receiving more than 40 mg per day of simvastatin or lovastatin may be at increased risk of statin-related adverse effects. 7.4 Simvastatin, Lovastatin , Rosuvastatin Ticagrelor increases serum concentrations of simvastatin and lovastatin because these drugs are metabolized by CYP3A4. Avoid simvastatin and lovastatin doses greater than 40 mg [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )].
Mechanism: Ticagrelor slows down how the body breaks down simvastatin. This causes the statin levels to build up in your blood, which can lead to more side effects.
What to do: Do not take more than 40 mg of simvastatin per day while taking this medication. Your doctor may need to lower your statin dose.
( 7.3) • Patients receiving more than 40 mg per day of simvastatin or lovastatin may be at increased risk of statin-related adverse effects. 7.4 Simvastatin, Lovastatin , Rosuvastatin Ticagrelor increases serum concentrations of simvastatin and lovastatin because these drugs are metabolized by CYP3A4. Avoid simvastatin and lovastatin doses greater than 40 mg [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )].
Mechanism: Ticagrelor interferes with the way your body processes lovastatin. This can cause the amount of lovastatin in your body to reach unsafe levels.
What to do: Avoid taking more than 40 mg of lovastatin daily. Your doctor will monitor you for side effects and may adjust your dose.
Avoid use of strong inhibitors of CYP3A (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, clarithromycin, nefazodone, ritonavir, saquinavir, nelfinavir, indinavir, atazanavir and telithromycin) [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] .
Mechanism: Ketoconazole blocks the enzyme that breaks down ticagrelor, which can cause the drug to build up to high levels in your body.
What to do: You should avoid taking these two medications together.
Avoid use with strong inducers of CYP3A (e.g., rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine and phenobarbital) [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3) ].
Mechanism: Carbamazepine speeds up how fast your body gets rid of ticagrelor, which can make the medicine less effective.
What to do: Avoid using this combination of drugs.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
Can I crush the ticagrelor tablet?
Can I take ticagrelor with other antiplatelet medicines?
What should I do before surgery?
Can ticagrelor cause shortness of breath?
What dose of aspirin should I take with ticagrelor?
What if I am taking simvastatin or lovastatin?
Will ticagrelor affect my digoxin levels?
What should I avoid while taking ticagrelor?
What do I do if I have a bleeding problem?
What are the common side effects of ticagrelor?
Does ticagrelor interact with other medications?
What drug class is ticagrelor?
Is ticagrelor safe during pregnancy?
Related Medications in P2Y12 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet)
Other drugs grouped near ticagrelor - same-class peers and common alternatives.
apixaban
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aspirin
Bayer, Ecotrin
Aspirin is a common medicine used to relieve minor pain.
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cilostazol
Pletal
Cilostazol is a medicine that helps improve walking distance in people with leg pain due to poor circulation.
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clopidogrel
Plavix
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dabigatran
Pradaxa
Dabigatran (Pradaxa) is a drug that helps to prevent blood clots from forming.
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Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
Why some drugs demand precise dosing and monitoring
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for ticagrelor
The FDA label for ticagrelor (sold under brand names such as Brilinta) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the P2Y12 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet) class. Ticagrelor is used to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. Official labeling lists 2 commonly reported side effects, including Bleeding, Shortness of breath.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 30,895 voluntary reports. The database also lists 17 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: October 28, 2025
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages