At the same time, the market for coatings was growing, particularly drug-delivering coatings. “We started working on these coatings very early and developed our concepts further,” says Hoffmann. The range for medical combination products - or products that combine mechanical functions with the delivery of pharmaceuticals - includes coatings for drug-delivering stents and drug-coated balloon catheters. Patients suffering a life-threatening vascular constriction have a drug-coated balloon catheter inserted in their blood vessel in a minimally invasive procedure. The balloon is inflated in the constricted areas, re-expanding the blood vessel. Alternatively, a drug-delivering stent (a metal mesh, placed on the wall of the blood vessel) is inserted. The blood vessel is then kept continuously open. Balloon catheters and stents deliver drugs to the vessel wall and help prevent inflammation or irritation. Hemoteq thus perfectly augments the life-saving and life-improving Freudenberg Medical products that use minimally invasive systems as well as special components made from silicon, thermoplastics and metal, where coatings can optimize their properties for clinical usage.