Marlene C. Schwarz

In vivo and in vitro characterization of poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) copolymer stent coatings for biostability, vascular compatibility and mechanical integrity

The TAXUS Express 2 Paclitaxel Eluting Coronary Stent System employs a coating consisting of the thermoplastic elastomer, poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene; SIBS), selected for its drug-eluting characteristics, vascular compatibility, mechanical properties, and biostability. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of different SIBS (17-51 mole % styrene) compositions on mechanical properties, chemical stability, and vascular compatibility. Mechanical property (stress-strain measurements) and stability studies were conducted on polymer films with five different styrene contents (17, 24, 32, 39, and 51 mole %). The ultimate tensile strength did not change significantly with composition, but the elongation at break decreased with increased styrene content. A pulsatile fatigue test further confirmed the mechanical stability of SIBS up to 39 mole % styrene. The vascular compatibility of five different SIBS compositions was assessed using SIBS-only coated stents, in the coronary and carotid arteries in a porcine model study. The stability of the vessel wall, rate/degree of endothelialization, inflammation, and thrombus at timepoints from 30 to 180 days were evaluated. The results confirm vascular compatibility over the range of 17-51 mole % styrene.

Controlled delivery of paclitaxel from stent coatings using novel styrene maleic anhydride copolymer formulations

The controlled release of paclitaxel (PTx) from stent coatings comprising an elastomeric polymer blended with a styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymer is described. The coated stents were characterized for morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and for drug release using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to measure the extent of interaction between the PTx and polymers in the formulation. Coronary stents were coated with blends of poly(b-styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS) and SMA containing 7% or 14% maleic anhydride (MA) by weight. SEM examination of the stents showed that the coating did not crack or delaminate either before or after stent expansion. Examination of the coating surface via AFM after elution of the drug indicated that PTx resides primarily in the SMA phase and provided information about the mechanism of PTx release. The addition of SMA altered the release profile of PTx from the base elastomer coatings. In addition, the presence of the SMA enabled tunable release of PTx from the elastomeric stent coatings, while preserving mechanical properties. Thermal analysis reveled no shift in the glass transition temperatures for any of the polymers at all drug loadings studied, indicating that the PTx is not miscible with any component of the polymer blend. An in vivo evaluation indicated that biocompatibility and vascular response results for SMA/SIBS-coated stents (without PTx) are similar to results for SIBS-only-coated and bare stainless steel control stents when implanted in the non-injured coronary arteries of common swine for 30 and 90 days.