| abstract |
The invention relates to improved drug-delivery endoprosthetic device for insertion at a vascular site via catheter placement at the site, comprising: (a) a structural member into the upper and/or lower surface of which one or more micro-deepenings are engraved and/or on which a polymer member is carried, for co-expansion with the polymer member from a contracted state to an expanded state when the device is exposed to said stimulus, (b) optionally a polymer member capable of expanding from a contracted to a stable, expanded state when the polymer member is exposed to a selected stimulus, wherein the device can be delivered from a catheter, with the structural and the optional polymer members in their contracted states, and is adapted to be held in a vessel at the vascular target site by radial pressure against the wall of the vessel, with the structural and the optional polymer members in their expanded states; and wherein the micro-deepenings of said structural member and/or said polymer member comprise a pharmaceutical composition containing one or more active ingredients selected from the group consisting of agents to inhibit or at least reduce excessive proliferation of vessel wall cells, agents to enhance the downstream perfusion of tissue, agents to promote and/or to enhance the neo-formation of capillaries, agents designed to modulate the amount or activity of coagulation factors, agents to reduce the amount of Thrombin- and/or Fibrin-formation, embedded therein for release from the member, with such in its expanded state. |