Sustained Reduction of In-Stent Neointimal Growth With the Use of a Novel Systemic Nanoparticle Paclitaxel

Background—Paclitaxel (PXL)-eluting stents in animals cause incomplete healing and, in some instances, a lack of sustained suppression of neointimal growth. The present study tested the efficacy of a novel systemic delivery nanoparticle PXL for reducing in-stent restenosis. Methods and Results—A saline-reconstituted formulation of PXL stabilized by albumin nanoparticles (nPXL) was tested in 38 New Zealand White rabbits receiving bilateral iliac artery stents. Doses of nPXL (1.0 to 5.0 mg/kg) were administered as a 10-minute intra-arterial infusion; control animals received vehicle (0.9% normal saline). In a follow-up chronic experiment, nPXL 5.0 mg/kg was given at stenting with or without an intravenous 3.5-mg/kg repeat nPXL dose at 28 days; these studies were terminated at 3 months. At 28 days, mean neointimal thickness was reduced (P ≤0.02) by doses of nPXL ≥2.5 mg/kg with evidence of delayed healing. The efficacy of a single dose of nPXL 5.0 mg/kg, however, was lost by 90 days. In contrast, a second repeat dose of nPXL 3.5 mg/kg given 28 days after stenting resulted in sustained suppression of neointimal thickness at 90 days (P ≤0.009 versus single dose nPXL 5.0 mg/kg and controls) with nearly complete neointimal healing. Conclusions—Although systemic nPXL reduces neointimal growth at 28 days, a single repeat dose was required for sustained neointimal suppression. Thus, this novel systemic formulation of PXL may allow adjustment of dose at the stent treatment site and prove to be a useful adjunct for the clinical prevention of in-stent restenosis.