Local drug delivery for treatment of coronary and peripheral artery disease.

Local drug delivery (LDD), the direct application of a therapeutic agent to a focal location, has been used in cardiovascular interventions to prophylactically reduce neointimal hyperplasia and relieve clot burden. LDD allows targeted use of drugs whose toxicities inhibit their systemic use while stent delivery allows for consistent and prolonged delivery. Stents eluting limus family drugs or paclitaxel inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell hyperplasia and migration and clinical use of such stents have reduced restenosis rates after percutaneous coronary procedures. However, associated with the increased efficacy is an increased rate of late stent thrombosis associated with death and myocardial infarction. Recent innovations, including bioabsorbable polymers and completely bioabsorbable stents may expand the use of drug-eluting stents. In this review, we discuss the development, the clinical use, and the effects of LDD from balloon and stent-based platforms in the treatment of restenosis and thrombus.