Clopidogrel TAD
Authorised
This medicine is authorised for use in the European Union
clopidogrel
Medicine
Human
Authorised
- Application under evaluation
- CHMP opinion
- European Commission decision
Overview
This is a summary of the European public assessment report (EPAR) for Clopidogrel TAD. It explains how the Agency assessed the medicine to recommend its authorisation in the EU and its conditions of use. It is not intended to provide practical advice on how to use Clopidogrel TAD.
For practical information about using Clopidogrel TAD, patients should read the package leaflet or contact their doctor or pharmacist.
Clopidogrel TAD is a medicine used to prevent problems caused by blood clots in adults who have:
- recently had a myocardial infarction (heart attack). Clopidogrel TAD can be started between a few days and 35 days after the attack;
- recently had an ischaemic stroke (stroke caused by failure of the blood supply to part of the brain). Clopidogrel TAD can be started between seven days and six months after the stroke;
- peripheral arterial disease (problems with blood flow in the arteries);
- a condition known as ‘acute coronary syndrome’, when it should be given with aspirin (another medicine that prevents blood clots). Acute coronary syndrome is a group of heart problems that include heart attacks and unstable angina (a severe type of chest pain). Some of these patients may have had a stent (a short tube) placed in an artery to prevent it from closing up;
- atrial fibrillation (irregular rapid contractions of the upper chambers of the heart), when it should be given with aspirin. It is used in those patients who have at least one risk factor for vascular events such as a heart attack or stroke, cannot take vitamin K antagonists (other medicines that prevent blood clots) and are at low risk of bleeding.
Clopidogrel TAD is a ‘generic medicine’. This means that Clopidogrel TAD is similar to a ‘reference medicine’ already authorised in the European Union (EU) called Plavix.
Clopidogrel TAD contains the active substance clopidogrel.
Clopidogrel TAD is available as tablets containing 75 mg clopidogrel. The standard dose is one 75-mg tablet once a day.
In acute coronary syndrome, treatment generally starts with a loading dose of four tablets. This is then followed by the standard 75-mg dose once a day for at least four weeks (in ‘ST segment elevation’ myocardial infarction) or for up to 12 months (in unstable angina or ‘non-Q-wave’ myocardial infarction).
In acute coronary syndrome and atrial fibrillation, Clopidogrel TAD is used together with aspirin, the dose of which should not be higher than 100 mg.
Clopidogrel TAD can only be obtained with a prescription.
The active substance in Clopidogrel TAD, clopidogrel, is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation. This means that it helps to prevent blood clots from forming. When the blood clots, this is due to special cells in the blood called platelets aggregating (sticking together). Clopidogrel stops the platelets aggregating by blocking a substance called ADP from attaching to a special receptor on their surface. This stops the platelets becoming ‘sticky’, reducing the risk of a blood clot forming and helping to prevent another heart attack or stroke.
Because Clopidogrel TAD is a generic medicine, studies in people have been limited to tests to determine that it is bioequivalent to the reference medicine, Plavix. Two medicines are bioequivalent when they produce the same levels of the active substance in the body.
Because Clopidogrel TAD is a generic medicine and is bioequivalent to the reference medicine, its benefits and risks are taken as being the same as the reference medicine’s.
The European Medicines Agency concluded that, in accordance with EU requirements, Clopidogrel TAD has been shown to have comparable quality and to be bioequivalent to Plavix. Therefore, the Agency’s view was that, as for Plavix, the benefit outweighs the identified risk. The Agency recommended that Clopidogrel TAD be approved for use in the EU.
Recommendations and precautions to be followed by healthcare professionals and patients for the safe and effective use of Clopidogrel TAD have been included in the summary of product characteristics and the package leaflet.
The European Commission granted a marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union for Clopidogrel TAD on 23 September 2009.
For more information about treatment with Clopidogrel TAD, read the package leaflet (also part of the EPAR) or contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Product information
Latest procedure affecting product information:N/0000268055
13/05/2025
This medicine’s product information is available in all official EU languages.
Select 'available languages' to access the language you need.
Product information documents contain:
- summary of product characteristics (annex I);
- manufacturing authorisation holder responsible for batch release (annex IIA);
- conditions of the marketing authorisation (annex IIB);
- labelling (annex IIIA);
- package leaflet (annex IIIB).
Product details
- Name of medicine
- Clopidogrel TAD
- Active substance
- clopidogrel (as hydrochloride)
- International non-proprietary name (INN) or common name
- clopidogrel
- Therapeutic area (MeSH)
- Peripheral Vascular Diseases
- Stroke
- Myocardial Infarction
- Anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) code
- B01AC04
Pharmacotherapeutic group
Antithrombotic agentsTherapeutic indication
Clopidogrel is indicated in adults for the prevention of atherothrombotic events in:
- Patients suffering from myocardial infarction (from a few days until less than 35 days), ischaemic stroke (from 7 days until less than 6 months) or established peripheral arterial disease.
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