Astra's Brilique gets EC green light

6th Dec 2010 07:03

The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation to AstraZeneca's Brilique blood thinning drug.The decision follows the positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use on 23rd September and is applicable to the 27 Member States and the 3 European Economic Area countries of the European Union.The drug will be in competition in the market with Plavix, the second best selling drug in the world. It is intended to be used in preventing the blood clots that pose grave danger in the case of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS)."We're delighted Brilique has received regulatory approval in Europe, and believe it will become an attractive option for physicians seeking a more effective anti-platelet treatment than clopidogrel to reduce their ACS patients' risk of heart attack and cardiovascular death," said David Brennan, chief executive officer of Astra.Astra said the roll-out of Brilique in the European Union will be weighted towards the second half of the year, due to pricing and reimbursement negotiations.