AstraZeneca Plc (STO:AZN)(LON:SZN), a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, announced on Monday that high-level results from the phase III THALES trial showed that the company's Brilinta (ticagrelor) 90mg used twice daily and taken with aspirin for 30 days, reached a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of the primary composite endpoint of stroke and death, compared to aspirin alone.

Brilinta reduced the risk of the composite of stroke and death after an acute ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack.

THALES was conducted in over 11,000 patients who had a minor acute ischaemic stroke or high-risk transient ischaemic attack (TIA) in the 24 hours prior to treatment initiation. The preliminary safety findings in the THALES trial were consistent with the known profile of Brilinta, with an increased bleeding rate in the treatment arm.

According to the company, the full THALES trial results will be presented at a forthcoming medical meeting.

Brilinta is approved in over 110 countries for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and in more than 70 countries for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events among high-risk patients who have experienced a heart attack.

AstraZeneca is focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in the three therapy areas of Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism and Respiratory.