Patent ID: 6887857

Claim:
A method of using polymer microparticles to protect pharmaceutical effectiveness of a pharmaceutically active agent comprising: combining in a physiologically acceptable liquid medium (a) a pharmaceutically active agent with (b) previously formed polymer microparticles to form a pharmaceutically acceptable suspension; and introducing said pharmaceutically acceptable suspension into an endoluminal drug delivery catheter for delivery, either with or without said polymer microparticles, of said pharmaceutically acceptable suspension to a patient, wherein introduction of said pharmaceutically acceptable suspension into said endoluminal drug delivery catheter results in contact of said pharmaceutically acceptable suspension with an incompatible component of said endoluminal drug delivery catheter that is incompatible with said pharmaceutically active agent, wherein said incompatible component comprises a metal or a polymer, and wherein said polymer microparticles protect the pharmaceutical effectiveness of said pharmaceutically active agent upon said contact of said pharmaceutically acceptable suspension with said incompatible component.