Yes, generic versions of Brilinta (ticagrelor) are available at retail pharmacies in the United States. Multiple manufacturers received FDA approval for generic ticagrelor starting in 2018, and as of mid-2025, five generic manufacturers are actively producing and selling the medication in both 60 mg and 90 mg strengths.
Generic Ticagrelor Availability
The first generic ticagrelor was approved in September 2018, when Watson Labs received FDA clearance. Since then, eight additional manufacturers have been approved, including well-known companies like Mylan (July 2021), Dr. Reddy’s (October 2024), and Alembic (May 2025). As of 2026, at least five generic manufacturers are actively supplying pharmacies alongside AstraZeneca’s brand-name product, and neither brand nor generic is listed on the FDA drug shortage database.
All FDA-approved generic ticagrelor products carry an AB rating, meaning the FDA considers them therapeutically equivalent to brand-name Brilinta. They come in the same two strengths: 60 mg and 90 mg tablets.
How Generics Are Verified as Equivalent
To earn FDA approval, each generic manufacturer had to run a bioequivalence study showing their version delivers the same amount of the active drug into the bloodstream as brand-name Brilinta. The FDA requires a single-dose crossover study conducted in healthy adults under fasting conditions, measuring both the drug itself and its active breakdown product in plasma. If a manufacturer proves equivalence at the 90 mg strength and shows proportional similarity between its 60 mg and 90 mg formulations, the FDA waives a separate study for the lower dose.
Cost Difference
Generic medications are typically far less expensive than their brand-name counterparts, and ticagrelor follows that pattern. For context, when brand-name Brilinta was compared against generic clopidogrel (a different blood thinner in the same class), Brilinta’s daily cost was about six times higher. Now that generic ticagrelor is on the market, the price gap between brand and generic ticagrelor varies by pharmacy and insurance plan, but switching from brand to generic can produce meaningful savings. Your pharmacist can substitute the generic automatically unless your prescriber specifically requests the brand.
What Ticagrelor Treats
Generic ticagrelor is approved for the same uses as Brilinta. It’s a blood thinner that works by preventing platelets from clumping together, reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. The FDA has approved it for three main situations:
- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS): After a heart attack or unstable chest pain, ticagrelor reduces the chance of another heart attack, stroke, or death. It also lowers the risk of blood clots forming inside a stent. For at least the first 12 months after ACS, it outperforms clopidogrel.
- Coronary artery disease at high risk: For people with known coronary artery disease who are at elevated risk for a first heart attack or stroke, particularly those with type 2 diabetes.
- Acute ischemic stroke or TIA: For people who have had a mild ischemic stroke or a transient ischemic attack (a “mini-stroke”), ticagrelor helps prevent a full stroke from occurring.
Switching From Brand to Generic
Because every approved generic ticagrelor is AB-rated, switching from Brilinta to a generic version does not require any dosage adjustment or additional monitoring. You take the same strength at the same frequency: twice daily. If your pharmacy carries a generic, they can fill your existing prescription with it unless your doctor has written “dispense as written” on the prescription. If you’re currently paying a high copay for brand-name Brilinta, asking your pharmacist whether a generic is in stock is the simplest first step toward lowering your cost.