ABSTRACT

The BiodivYsio® family of coronary stents is characterized by the presence of a phosphoryl-choline (PC) polymer coating. The PC coating is a synthetic copy of the predominant phospholipid that comprises the outside of the red blood cell membrane.1 The surface of devices coated with this material therefore mimics the body’s own chemistry, and any response to the foreign implant is lessened. The data reviewed in this chapter demonstrate that PC Technology™ is well suited as a platform for stent-mediated drug delivery because PC coatings are:

• non-thrombogenic • non-inflammatory • have physicomechanical properties to enable them to survive the rigors of stent

placement and expansion • are non-detrimental to critical stent mechanics • have long-term stability within the body • are able to deliver a range of therapeutic agents in a controlled fashion for a sustained

period • have proven long-term clinical experience.