Drug Eluting Stents and Beyond

The present review discusses the mechanism of late stent thrombosis and its distinction from restenosis and summarizes the advisory note issued by FDA on the proper usage of different treatments available for atherosclerosis. In light of the latest developments, a plethora of new stents have been and continue to be developed globally. Hence, there is a need to review the available methodology to control their quality and to understand the delivery of drugs to the lesion. This can be achieved by systematically reviewing the novelties in each type. The article evaluates upcoming drugs, biocompatible coatings, and new concepts. We have also provided the latest update on the three new promising drug eluting stents (DES) - Medtronic's Endeavor, Abbott's Xience, and Conor Medsystem's CoStar. In addition, the article also summarizes other DES in horizon.