{"id":635827,"date":"2026-03-30T13:47:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T17:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=635827"},"modified":"2026-03-30T13:47:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T17:47:01","slug":"brilinta-generic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/brilinta-generic\/","title":{"rendered":"Brilinta generic availability, cost, and dosage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brilinta<\/span><\/a> (ticagrelor) is a brand-name antiplatelet drug that\u2019s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the risk of certain complications of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including heart attack and stroke. AstraZeneca first manufactured Brilinta in 2011. In 2018, the FDA approved the manufacture of generic Brilinta, and now more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies make this prescription medication. Choosing ticagrelor, the generic for Brilinta, may help you save money at the pharmacy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0 Brilinta generic availability<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Generic name<\/b><\/td>\nTicagrelor<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FDA approval date of the generic version<\/b><\/td>\nSeptember 2018<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Is there a generic available for sale in the U.S.?<\/b><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What are the differences between generic and brand-name Brilinta?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Generic ticagrelor and brand-name Brilinta contain the same active ingredient at the same dosage and provide the <\/span>same therapeutic effects<\/span><\/a>. The differences boil down to the manufacturer, inactive ingredients, and tablet appearance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe FDA requires generic drugs to be bioequivalent to the brand-name version. This is defined as having the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form, and route of administration,\u201d explains <\/span>Gerome Burke<\/span><\/a>, MD, medical toxicologist, and Program Director for Research and Reporting at the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. \u201cThe generic must also have the same functional effect on the body within a very strict margin of difference. Generics are just as effective and safe for patients prescribed the medication.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, a small amount of high-blood-pressure medication research suggests that meaningful differences sometimes exist between branded and generic medications. For example, <\/span>a study from 2017<\/span><\/a> noted that the release of three generic high blood pressure medications coincided with an increase in reported side effects, and <\/span>a study from 2020<\/span><\/a> found that people were less likely to be hospitalized for depression symptoms if they took brand-name medications rather than generics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, when a team of cardiologists compared <\/span>Brilinta and generic ticagrelor in 2022<\/span><\/a>, they found no differences in side effects or therapeutic outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>systematic review and meta-analysis from 2025<\/span><\/a> suggests that the majority of cardiovascular medications, including all <\/span>anticoagulants<\/span><\/a>, provide the same results whether branded or generic. Of the 20 studies that found differences, 75% reported better results with branded medications, and the other 25% reported better results with generics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Different manufacturers and inactive ingredients<\/span><\/h3>\n

AstraZeneca holds the patent to make brand-name Brilinta. Watson Labs was the first pharmaceutical company approved to make generic ticagrelor in 2018. Now, many companies make this medication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each manufacturer may slightly modify the inactive ingredients in a ticagrelor tablet, such as its preservatives, fillers, and dyes. In rare cases, some people experience <\/span>allergic reactions to inactive ingredients<\/span><\/a>. If you have a known allergy, a healthcare professional or pharmacist can help you obtain a generic version of ticagrelor from a manufacturer that uses ingredients you are not allergic to.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Different appearances\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

You may also notice differences in shape, color, and imprints between Brilinta and ticagrelor, depending on the manufacturer. Brand-name Brilinta is a round tablet that\u2019s either pink (60 mg) or yellow (90 mg). Each tablet is imprinted with 60 or 90 to indicate dosage. A capital T is imprinted below the numbers, and the back of the tablet is blank.<\/span><\/p>\n

Generic ticagrelor is also available in yellow or pink round tablets. Each manufacturer uses a different imprint. For example, a round yellow tablet with an L on one side and the number 522 on the other side indicates it\u2019s a 90 mg tablet of ticagrelor made by Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited.<\/span><\/p>\n

How much does generic Brilinta cost?<\/span><\/h2>\n

On average, generic Brilinta retails for about 30% less than brand-name Brilinta, <\/span>without insurance<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n