Drug coated balloon catheters for nonvascular strictures

1. A method for treating a nonvascular body lumen stricture, the method comprising:

providing a balloon catheter in a body lumen such that the balloon catheter is positioned in the body lumen stricture, the balloon catheter comprising an elongated balloon, the balloon comprising a coating layer overlying external balloon surfaces, the coating layer comprising at least one additive and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent, wherein the coating layer is flushed or soaked in a solution comprising water or saline;

inflating the balloon catheter in the body lumen stricture to contact walls of the body lumen stricture with the coating layer until the stricture in the body lumen is dilated to a desired diameter;

deflating the balloon catheter; and

withdrawing the balloon catheter from the body lumen.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is flushed or soaked prior to positioning the balloon catheter in the body lumen stricture.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is flushed or soaked after positioning the balloon catheter in the body lumen stricture.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the balloon has thereon a residual drug amount after the withdrawing, wherein the residual drug amount is 70% or less of the initial drug load.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flushing or soaking in combination with the contacting of the coating layer with the stricture is sufficient to release 37% to 97% of the initial drug load.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is flushed or soaked for a predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is flushed or soaked for a time of at least 1 minute.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body lumen stricture comprises a stricture in a urethra, a ureter, a prostatic urethra, an esophagus, a biliary tract, a stomach, a colon, an intestine, a sinus, a trachea, or an airway.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body lumen stricture comprises a stricture in a prostatic urethra.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body lumen stricture comprises a urethral stricture, a benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) stricture, or a ureteral stricture.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the inflating step the method further comprises keeping the balloon inflated for 0.1 minutes to 10 minutes to release the therapeutic agent into the tissue.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent comprises paclitaxel, a paclitaxel analogue, docetaxel, a docetaxel analogue, taxol, a taxol analogue, rapamycin, a rapamycin analogue, everolimus, an everolimus analogue, tacrolimus, a tacrolimus analogue, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio by weight of the therapeutic agent to the total weight of the additive in the coating layer is from 2 to 6.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial drug load of the therapeutic agent is from 1 microgram to 20 micrograms per square millimeter of the balloon.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive in the coating layer comprises one or more water-soluble additives.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive in the coating layer comprises a surfactant.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the surfactant is a nonionic, anionic, cationic, or zwitterionic surfactant, and wherein the surfactant has a molecular weight of 750 g/mol or less.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive in the coating layer is chosen from N-acetylglucosamine, N-octyl-D-gluconamide, N-nonanoyl-N-methylglycamine, N-octanoyl-N-methyl glutamine C6-ceramide, dihydro-C6-ceramide, cerabroside, sphingomyelin, galaclocerebrosides, lactocerebrosides, N-acetyl-D-sphingosine, N-hexanoyl-D-sphingosine, N-octonoyl-D-sphingosine, N-lauroyl-D-sphingosine, N-palmitoyl-D-sphingosine, N-oleoyl-D-sphingosine, PEG caprylic/capric diglycerides, PEG8 caprylic/capric glycerides, PEG caprylate, PEG8 caprylate, PEG caprate, PEG caproate, glyceryl monocaprylate, glyceryl monocaprate, glyceryl monocaproate, monolaurin, monocaprin, monocaprylin, monomyristin, monopalmitolein, monoolein, creatine, creatinine, agmatine, citrulline, guanidine, sucralose, aspartame, hypoxanthine, theobromine, theophylline, adenine, uracil, uridine, guanine, thymine, thymidine, xanthine, xanthosine, xanthosine monophosphate, caffeine, allantoin, (2-hydroxyethyl)urea, N,N′-bis(hydroxymethyl)urea, pentaerythritol ethoxylate, pentaerythritol propoxylate, pentaerythritol propoxylate/ethoxylate, glycerol ethoxylate, glycerol propoxylate, trimethylolpropane ethoxylate, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, crown ether, 18-crown-6, 15-crown-5, 12-crown-4, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive in the coating layer comprises an ethoxylate.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive in the coating layer comprises pentaerythritol ethoxylate.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the step of positioning the balloon catheter in the body lumen stricture:

inserting an uncoated balloon catheter into the body lumen stricture;

inflating the uncoated balloon catheter until the balloon contacts the walls of the body lumen stricture;

deflating the uncoated balloon; and

withdrawing the uncoated balloon from the body lumen.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising visualizing the balloon catheter in the body lumen stricture with a scope before and/or during the inflating.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the scope comprises an endoscope.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the balloon catheter and the scope are positioned side-by-side.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the balloon catheter is through into the scope.