LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Long term use of AstraZeneca's blood thinner Brilinta has been recommended as acost-effective option for treating patients after a heartattack, Britain's healthcare cost watchdog NICE said on Friday.
Ticagrelor 60 mg -- sold in Britain as Brilique for justunder 1 pound ($1.30) a pill -- could help "many thousands ofpeople" when given twice a day alongside aspirin, the NationalInstitute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said.
In the United States, the wholesale acquisition cost is$5.14 a pill, although most U.S. patients are eligible forsavings programmes.
A higher 90 mg dose of Brilique is already recommended for12 months after a heart attack. Now new NICE draft guidancesupports continued use at a lower dose for a further three yearsto reduce the risk of fresh heart attacks or strokes.
The drug is an important driver of future sales forAstraZeneca, which believes it can eventually sell $3.5 billiona year. Global sales in the first half of 2016 were $395million.
The low-dose version of the medicine was recommended forlong-term use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inSeptember 2015 and by European authorities in February 2016.
($1 = 0.7707 pounds) (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Keith Weir)
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