AstraZeneca commences development of Brilinta reversal agent

AstraZeneca has begun pre-clinical development of a new agent designed to rapidly and specifically reverse the antiplatelet effects of its own drug Brilinta.

The company's biologics research and development arm MedImmune is in charge of the project to assess the effectiveness of the investigational antibody MEDI2452, which would allow for better clinical management of the balance between the desired antithrombotic effect of Brilinta and the prevention or control of bleeding in emergency situations.

It is necessary for doctors to be able swiftly reverse the effects of oral antiplatelet agents like Brilinta to enable emergency surgery or as a quick response to a major bleeding event, without needing to wait for the effects of the medicine to wear off.

However, there are currently no approved medications to counteract the antiplatelet effect in these situations, meaning there is a strong medical need for agents like MEDI2452.

Marc Ditmarsch, global development lead for Brilinta, said: "If the circumstances demand it, we believe MEDI2452 has the potential to help address this need for patients treated with Brilinta."

Brilinta is one of AstraZeneca's most important therapies and has been designated as one of its five key pillars for growth in the coming years.