Cangrelor: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Cangrelor is a p2y12 platelet inhibitor sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- P2y12 Platelet Inhibitor
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Kengreal and Cangrelor
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How cangrelor is dosed
From the FDA label for Kengreal (application NDA204958). Other cangrelor products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
KENGREAL is intended for administration via a dedicated IV line, only after reconstitution and dilution. ( 2.3 ) Administer 30 mcg/kg intravenous (IV) bolus prior to PCI followed immediately by a 4 mcg/kg/min IV infusion for at least 2 hours or duration of procedure, whichever is longer. ( 2.1 ) To maintain platelet inhibition after discontinuation of KENGREAL infusion, administer an oral P2Y 12 platelet inhibitor. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Recommended Dosing The recommended dosage of KENGREAL is a 30 mcg/kg IV bolus followed immediately by a 4 mcg/kg/min IV infusion. Initiate the bolus infusion prior to PCI. The maintenance infusion should ordinarily be continued for at least 2 hours or for the duration of PCI, whichever is longer. 2.2 Transitioning Patients to Oral P2Y 12 Therapy To maintain platelet inhibition after discontinuation of KENGREAL infusion, administer an oral P2Y 12 platelet inhibitor, as described below: Ticagrelor: 180 mg at any time during KENGREAL infusion or immediately after discontinuation [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )] . Prasugrel: 60 mg immediately after discontinuation of KENGREAL [see Drug Interactions ( 7.1 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )] . Clopidogrel: 600 mg immediately after discontinuation of KENGREAL [see Drug Interactions ( 7.1 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )] . 2.3 Preparation and Administration KENGREAL is intended for IV administration,…
Cangrelor side effects
The following adverse reactions are also discussed elsewhere in the labeling: Bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] The most common adverse reaction is bleeding. ( 5.1 , 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Chiesi USA, Inc. at 1-888-661-9260 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reactions rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety of KENGREAL has been evaluated in 13,301 subjects in controlled trials, in whom, 5,529 were in the CHAMPION PHOENIX trial. Bleeding There was a greater incidence of bleeding with KENGREAL than with clopidogrel. No baseline demographic factor altered the relative risk of bleeding with KENGREAL (see Table 1 and Figure 1). Table 1: Major Bleeding Results in the CHAMPION PHOENIX Study (Non-CABG related Bleeding) a CHAMPION PHOENIX KENGREAL (N=5529) Clopidogrel (N=5527) Any GUSTO bleeding, n (%) 857 (15.5) 602 (10.9) Severe/life-threatening b 11 (0.2) 6 (0.1) Moderate c 21 (0.4) 14 (0.3) Mild d 825 (14.9) 582 (10.5) Any TIMI bleeding, n (%) 45 (0.8) 17 (0.3) Major e 12 (0.2) 6 (0.1) Minor f 33 (0.6) 11 (0.2) Abbreviations: GUSTO: Global Utilization of Streptokinase…
Who shouldn’t take cangrelor
Significant active bleeding ( 4.1 ) Hypersensitivity to KENGREAL or any component of the product ( 4.2 ) 4.1 Significant Active Bleeding KENGREAL is contraindicated in patients with significant active bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] . 4.2 Hypersensitivity KENGREAL is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis) to KENGREAL or any component of the product [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] . 4.1 Significant Active Bleeding KENGREAL is contraindicated in patients with significant active bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] . 4.2 Hypersensitivity KENGREAL is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis) to KENGREAL or any component of the product [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] .
Cangrelor drug interactions
Clopidogrel: Do not administer during KENGREAL infusion. ( 7.1 ) Prasugrel: Do not administer during KENGREAL infusion. ( 7.1 ) 7.1 Thienopyridines Clopidogrel or prasugrel administered during KENGREAL infusion will have no antiplatelet effect until the next dose is administered. Therefore, administer clopidogrel or prasugrel after KENGREAL infusion is discontinued [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. 7.1 Thienopyridines Clopidogrel or prasugrel administered during KENGREAL infusion will have no antiplatelet effect until the next dose is administered. Therefore, administer clopidogrel or prasugrel after KENGREAL infusion is discontinued [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )].
Every cangrelor product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
What people report to the FDA about cangrelor
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 188 reports naming cangrelor, and the FDA flagged 97% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- hypotension22 reports
- vascular stent thrombosis18 reports
- eosinophilia14 reports
- thrombocytopenia14 reports
- acute myocardial infarction11 reports
- haemorrhage11 reports
- labelled drug-drug interaction medication error10 reports
- drug level decreased9 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean cangrelor caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is cangrelor?
KENGREAL is a direct-acting P2Y 12 platelet receptor inhibitor that blocks adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet activation and aggregation. The chemical structure is similar to adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
What kind of drug is cangrelor?
The FDA classifies cangrelor as a p2y12 platelet inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take cangrelor with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run cangrelor against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is cangrelor sold under?
We track 2 cangrelor-containing products in the U.S.: Kengreal and Cangrelor. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does cangrelor come in?
Across the brands we track, cangrelor is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic cangrelor?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic cangrelor product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Cangrelor: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cangrelor
- MLA
- “Cangrelor: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cangrelor.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for cangrelor on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.