Patent ID: 8211455

Claim:
A therapeutic-agent-releasing medical device comprising: (a) an implantable or insertable medical device; (b) a therapeutic agent; and (c) a release layer, disposed over at least a portion of the implantable or insertable medical device, that is selected from a carrier layer that comprises said therapeutic agent and a barrier layer that is disposed over a therapeutic-agent-containing region that comprises said therapeutic agent, said release layer comprising (i) a maleic anhydride polymer selected from a maleic anhydride copolymer and a maleic anhydride graft polymer and (ii) an additional polymer selected from poly(butyl methacrylate) and a copolymer that comprises (i) one or more blocks selected from blocks of polyisobutylene and blocks of ethylene and butylene and (ii) one or more polystyrenic blocks, said release layer regulating the rate of release of the therapeutic agent from the medical device upon implantation or insertion of the device into a patient, such that more than 75% of the total release from the medical device that occurs over the course of implantation or insertion in the patient occurs after the device has been inserted for 1 to 3 days.