ISO/TS 12417:2011 specifies requirements for vascular device-drug combination products (VDDCPs) based upon current technical and medical knowledge. VDDCPs are medical devices with various clinical indications for use in the human vascular blood system. A VDDCP incorporates, as an integral part, substance(s) which, if used separately, can be considered to be a medicinal product (drug product) but the action of the medicinal substance is ancillary to that of the device and supports the primary mode of action of the device. With regard to safety, ISO/TS 12417 outlines requirements for intended performance, design attributes, materials, design evaluation, manufacturing, sterilization packaging, and information supplied by the manufacturer. For implanted products, ISO/TS 12417 should be considered as a supplement to ISO 14630, which specifies general requirements for the performance of non-active surgical implants. ISO/TS 12417 should also be considered as a supplement to relevant device-specific standards, such as the ISO 25539 series specifying requirements for endovascular devices. Requirements listed in ISO/TS 12417 also address VDDCPs that are not necessarily permanent implants.

Delivery systems or parts of the delivery system are included in the scope of ISO/TS 12417 if they comprise an integral component of the vascular device and if they are drug-covered (e.g. drug-covered balloon catheters and drug-covered guidewires).

Pumps and infusion catheters which do not contain drug coverings, and whose primary mode of action is to deliver a drug, are not addressed in ISO/TS 12417.

Procedures and devices used prior to and following the introduction of the VDDCP (e.g. balloon angioplasty devices) are excluded from the scope of ISO/TS 12417 if they do not affect the drug-related aspects of the device.

ISO/TS 12417 is not comprehensive with respect to the pharmacological evaluation of VDDCPs. Some information on the requirements of different related national and regional authorities is given in an annex.

Bioabsorbable components of VDDCPs (e.g. coatings) are addressed by ISO/TS 12417 in their connection with drug-related aspects of the device.

ISO/TS 12417 does not address issues associated with viable tissues and non-viable biological materials.