Absorbable biocompatible materials

A biodegradable coating on a surface of a medical device comprising:

• a biodegradable layer on at least a portion of the surface of the medical device, the layer comprising a copolymer and a therapeutic agent releasable into a patient after implantation of the device into the patient, wherein the copolymer comprises a first monomer unit and a second monomer unit, with the first monomer unit comprising an amino acid and the second monomer unit comprising an amino acid derivatized to comprise a hydrophobic hydrocarbon side chain that has a molecular weight from about 14 to about 5000.

A method of delivering a therapeutic agent with a medical device, the method comprising:

• applying a layer comprising the therapeutic agent and water soluble polyamino acids to at least a portion of a surface of the medical device and crosslinking the polyaminoacids to each other to stabilize the layer, wherein the therapeutic agent is releasable when the medical device is implanted in a patient.

A method of making biodegradable coating on a surface of a medical device comprising:

• forming a biodegradable layer on at least a portion of the surface of the medical device, the layer comprising a copolymer and a therapeutic agent releasable into a patient after implantation of the device into the patient, and selecting the rate of release of the therapeutic agent from the layer by adjusting a number or length of the hydrophobic hydrocarbon side chains in the copolymer,
• wherein the copolymer comprises a first monomer unit and a second monomer unit, with the first monomer unit comprising an amino acid and the second monomer unit comprising an amino acid derivatized to have a hydrophobic hydrocarbon side chain that has a molecular weight from about 14 to about 5000.