A method for decreasing the level of restenosis following a stent (10) placement medical intervention involves the continuous administration of a dose of an anti-restenotic agent, such as paclitaxel, from the stent to vascular tissue in need of treatment in a controlled, extended and substantially linear drug release profile. The method of substantially linear extended release increases the therapeutic effectiveness of administration of a given dosage. In one example, a method of reducing restenosis includes delivering paclitaxel from a stent (10) to an artery at a minimum release rate of 1 percent of the total dosage of paclitaxel on the stent (10) per day throughout an entire administration period from the time of implantation of the stent (10) until the time that substantially all the paclitaxel is released from the stent (10).
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