Patent ID: 8403910

Claim:
A method for treating a blood vessel, the method comprising: inserting a balloon catheter into the blood vessel, the balloon catheter comprising: an inflatable polyamide balloon; and a coating layer that adheres to an exterior surface of the inflatable polyamide balloon, wherein: the coating layer comprises a hydrophobic therapeutic agent and a water-soluble additive; the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of paclitaxel, rapamycin, everolimus, docetaxel, and combinations thereof; the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is not enclosed in micelles or liposomes and is not encapsulated in polymer particles; the water-soluble additive comprises a PEG fatty ester selected from the group consisting of PEG laurates, PEG oleates, PEG stearates, PEG glyceryl laurates, PEG glyceryl oleates, PEG glyceryl stearates, PEG sorbitan monolaurates, PEG sorbitan monooleates, PEG sorbitan stearates, PEG sorbitan laurates, PEG sorbitan oleates, and PEG sorbitan palmitates; the ratio by weight of the at least one additive to the therapeutic agent in the coating layer is from about 0.05 to 100; inflating the balloon catheter to press the coating layer into contact with walls of the blood vessel during a balloon inflation time of 2 minutes or less; releasing a therapeutically effective amount of the therapeutic agent from the inflated balloon catheter to the walls of the blood vessel during the balloon inflation time; deflating the inflated balloon catheter in the blood vessel at the end of the balloon inflation time; and withdrawing the deflated balloon catheter from the blood vessel.