Durable Coatings
Durable drug delivery polymer systems, i.e., those that do not degrade in vivo, are the enabling technology of a number of currently marketed medical devices. Durable drug delivery polymers are currently used on the market-leading drug-eluting stents.
The durable polymer coating on stents and other devices serves as a passive drug reservoir, releasing the drug by diffusion. The polymer system is highly tunable, enabling provision of the required therapeutic dosing. SurModics’ durable drug delivery polymer matrix can address the needs of companies working on site-specific drug delivery.
Bravo™ Drug Delivery Polymer Matrix is a durable polymer matrix that delivers a variety of small hydrophobic drugs and can be customized to deliver drugs for durations ranging from minutes to months. The Bravo polymer matrix is a critical component of the Cypher® Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent from Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company. The Bravo matrix system is also used on the I-vation™ Intravitreal Implant (not approved for human use), an implantable coil currently under development by SurModics, which is designed to deliver drug to the back of the eye to treat retinal diseases.
In June 2007, SurModics and Merck & Co., Inc. announced a License and Research Collaboration Agreement to pursue the joint development and commercialization of the I-vation™ Sustained Drug Delivery System with triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and other products that combine Merck proprietary drug compounds with the I-vation system for the treatment of serious retinal diseases.
