Abstract: An intravascular stent having a prefabricated, patterned tubular sleeve portion for controlled release of therapeutic drugs and for delivery of the therapeutic drugs in localized drug therapy in a blood vessel is disclosed. The patterned sleeve may be releasably attached to at least a portion of an outer surface of the stent structure. Alternatively, a plurality of individual filament strands are longitudinally arranged around an outer surface of a stent structure in a spaced apart orientation and loaded with at least one therapeutic drug for the release thereof at a treatment site. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen. Methods for making the same are also disclosed.