Patent ID: 8512733

Claim:
An intravascular stent comprising a metal body and a coating comprising a polymer and a restenosis inhibiting agent in the amount in the range of 20 to 1000 μg per stent, in which the restenosis inhibiting agent is a sparingly water soluble drug and the polymer in the coating is a cross-linked amphiphilic polymer which, when swollen with water containing pyrene, has hydrophobic domains observable by pyrene fluorescence having an intensity ratio I3:I1 of at least 0.8, wherein the amphiphilic polymer comprises, as the groups conferring hydrophobicity, pendant hydrophobic groups selected from C 4-24 -alkenyl and -alkynyl groups any of which is optionally substituted by one or more fluorine atoms, aryl, C 7-24 aralkyl, oligo (C 3-4 alkoxy) alkyl and siloxane groups, and as the groups conferring hydrophilicity, zwitterionic groups.