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Product builder analyzing TAXUS™ paclitaxel-eluting coronary
stent.
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Paclitaxel
As a result of balloon inflation and the placement
of a coronary stent, an artery builds up smooth muscle cells. In
many cases, the excessive build-up of smooth muscle cells will cause
a reclosure of the artery, a process known as restenosis. The purpose
of any drug-eluting stent is to limit or eliminate the need for
further treatment due to restenosis.
Paclitaxel has been well studied for its multifunctional
effects on cells. Those effects led to its development as one of
the most effective and widely used drugs for controlling the growth
of cancerous cells. However, further research showed that when used
in relatively minute doses, paclitaxel can limit smooth muscle cell
growth at the stent site, while allowing the vessel to heal itself.
It is this attribute that led Boston Scientific to select paclitaxel
for the TAXUS program.
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