Formulation development and evaluation of biodegradable stent of lipid lowering agents for treatment of atherosclerosis

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a biodegradable stent using Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with atorvastatin and clopidogrel for treating atherosclerosis. The stents were made by solvent casting PLGA 75:25 polymer films with PEG 400 as a plasticizer. Atorvastatin and clopidogrel were added, and the mixture was homogenized, cast, and slowly evaporated. The films were then cut, coiled into helical stents, and dried. newline newlineThe stents showed high encapsulation efficiency (99.34±0.44%), no chemical interactions, and significant water uptake (over 80% in 8 days). A plaque-disrupting effect was noted at 21 days, with stent biodegradation starting on day 22. Drug release reached 99.92% over 20 days. newline newlineThe findings suggest that optimized PLGA stents with atorvastatin and clopidogrel are a promising treatment for atherosclerosis, providing controlled and targeted drug release.