Coating system and method for drug elution management

1. A therapeutic coating that promotes formation of a functional endothelium on a medical device, the coating comprising:

a biodegradable, drug-containing inner layer that is positioned over a surface of a medical device and serves as a source of a drug that functions as an anti-proliferative agent in a subject; and,

a biodegradable, outer layer positioned over a surface of the inner layer and comprising a polymer adapted to render the coating non-eluting beginning at time of implantation in the subject and continuing thereafter for a time period of about 20 to about 40 days, the polymer being further adapted to block release of the drug from the coating into the subject during the aforesaid time period to form a functional endothelium over the surface of the medical device, the functional endothelium providing a source of thrombomodulin to the subject;

wherein the polymer is still further adapted to allow the drug to elute from the coating after the aforesaid time period;

wherein the polymer has ester-terminal groups, a molecular weight ranging from about 50 KDaltons to about 190 KDaltons, the structure comprising P—CO2R, where P is the polymer backbone and R is an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbons;

whereby the coating promotes development of the functional endothelium as the source of the thrombomodulin when compared to a control development of such endothelium formation observed following implantation of a metal drug-eluting medical device; and the coating inhibits development of a hyperproliferative tissue when compared to a control development of such hyperproliferative tissue observed following implantation of a metal medical device.

2. The coating of claim 1 , wherein the medical device comprises a stent.

3. The coating of claim 1 , wherein the drug-containing layer comprises a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), a monomer ratio of lactic acid to glycolic acid ranges from about 85:15 to about 50:50, and a molecular weight ranging from about 90 KDaltons to about 160 KDaltons.

4. The coating of claim 1 , wherein the drug-retaining layer comprises a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) having ester terminal groups, a monomer ratio of lactic acid to glycolic acid ranging from about 85:15 to about 50:50, and a molecular weight ranging from about 90 KDaltons to about 160 KDaltons.

5. The coating of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the coating ranges from about 2 microns to about 9 microns.

6. The coating of claim 1 , wherein the thickness ratio of the drug-retaining layer to the drug-containing layer ranges from about 4:1 to about 7:1.

7. The coating of claim 1 further comprising pockets of hydrophilic material in the drug-retaining layer, wherein the hydrophilic material comprises a component selected from the group consisting of dextran, heparin, ticlopidine, chlopidogrel, enoxaparin, dalteparin, hirudin, bivalirudin, argatroban, and danparoid.

8. The coating of claim 1 , wherein the drug-reservoir layer further comprises an accelerant layer to accelerate the rate of elution, the accelerant layer having a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) with acid terminal groups, a monomer ratio of lactic acid to glycolic acid that ranges from about 85:15 to about 50:50, and a molecular weight that ranges from about 90 KDaltons to about 120 KDaltons.

9. A stent having a coating that promotes formation of a functional endothelium, the coating comprising:

a biodegradable drug-containing inner layer that is positioned over a surface of the stent and serves as a source of a drug that functions as an anti-proliferative agent in a subject, wherein the drug-containing layer comprises a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), a monomer ratio of lactic acid to glycolic acid ranges from about 85:15 to about 50:50, and a molecular weight ranging from about 110 KDaltons to about 160 KDaltons; and,

a biodegradable, outer layer positioned over a surface of the inner layer and comprising a polymer adapted to render the coating non-eluting beginning

wherein, the drug retaining layer is void or substantially void of the drug at time of implantation in the subject and continuing thereafter for a time period of about 20 to about 40 days, the polymer being further adapted to, block release of the drug from the coating into the subject during the aforesaid time period to form a functional endothelium over the surface of the stent, the functional endothelium providing a source of thrombomodulin to the subject;

wherein the polymer is still further adapted to allow the drug to elute from the coating after the aforesaid time period;

wherein the drug-retaining layer comprises a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) polymer having ester terminal groups and the structure P—CO2R, where P is the polymer backbone and R is an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbons, a monomer ratio of lactic acid to glycolic acid ranging from about 85:15 to about 50:50, a molecular weight ranging from about 50 KDaltons to about 190 KDaltons, and a structure that remains at least substantially undegraded during an initial release of the drug from the coating;

wherein the accelerant layer comprises a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) with acid terminal groups, a monomer ratio of lactic acid to glycolic acid that ranges from about 85:15 to about 50:50, a molecular weight that ranges from about 90 KDaltons to about 120 KDaltons, and functions to accelerate the rate of elution of drug from the coating;

wherein the thickness ratio of the drug-reservoir layer to the drug-containing layer ranges from about 4:1 to about 10:1;

whereby the coating promotes development of the functional endothelium as the source of the thrombomodulin when compared to a control development of such endothelium formation observed following implantation of a metal stent; and

the coating inhibits development of a restenosis when compared to a control development of such restenosis observed following implantation of a metal stent.

10. The stent of claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the coating ranges from about 2 microns to about 9 microns.

11. The stent of claim 9 , wherein the thickness ratio of the drug-retaining layer to the drug-containing layer ranges from about 4:1 to about 7:1.

12. The stent of claim 9 , further comprising pockets of hydrophilic material in the drug-retaining layer, wherein the hydrophilic material comprises a component selected from the group consisting of dextran, heparin, ticlopidine, chlopidogrel, enoxaparin, dalteparin, hirudin, bivalirudin, argatroban, and danparoid.

13. The stent of claim 9 , wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of fluoroquinolone, paclitaxel, rapamycin, sirolimus, everolimus, biolimus, zotarolimus, tacrolimus, fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), rapamycin analogs, antisense dexamethasone, angiopeptin, batimistat, tranilast, transilast, halofuginon, acetylsalicylic acid, hirudin, steroids, ibuprofen, antimicrobials, antibiotics, actinomycin D, tissue plasma activators, estradiol, and transcription factor E2F1.

14. A medical device having a drug-retaining coating, comprising:

a drug-containing, inner layer applied over a surface of the medical device, the drug-containing layer having a drug that functions as an anti-proliferative agent; and

an outer layer applied over the inner layer and comprising a polymer adapted to render the drug-retaining coating non-eluting beginning at time of implantation in a subject and continuing thereafter for a time period of about 20 to about 40 days, the polymer being further adapted to block release of the drug from the coating into the subject during the aforesaid time period;

wherein the polymer is still further adapted to allow the drug to elute from the coating after the aforesaid time period;

whereby the coating promotes development of a functional endothelium as a source of thrombomodulin when compared to a control development of such endothelium formation observed following implantation of a metal medical device; and,

the coating inhibits development of a hyperproliferative tissue when compared to a control development of such hyperproliferative tissue observed following implantation of a metal medical device.