AstraZeneca's new heart-drug, Brilique (ticagrelor tablets) is one of this year's most important research developments, according to the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation.
For many years, the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel has been the standard treatment for heart attack sufferers. AstraZeneca's PLATO study demonstrated that the new ticaregrelor tablets are a more effective treatment as clopidogrel requires certain genetic conditions to function effectively.
The PLATO study, which indicated that ticagrelor tablets are independent of genetics, was number four on the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation's list of nine major research advancements during the last 12 months.
In a comment, Jan Nilsson, president of the Heart-Lung Foundation says that "in only the past year research has taken several significant steps forward".
