Drug Discovery

The modern pharmacopeia has enormous power to alleviate disease, and owes its existence almost entirely to the work of the pharmaceutical industry. This book provides an introduction to the way the industry goes about the discovery and development of new drugs. The first part gives a brief historical account from its origins in the mediaeval apothecaries’ trade, and discusses the changing understanding of what we mean by disease, and what therapy aims to achieve, as well as summarising case histories of the discovery and development of some important drugs. The second part focuses on the science and technology involved in the discovery process: the stages by which a promising new chemical entity is identified, from the starting point of a medical need and an idea for addressing it. A chapter on biopharmaceuticals, whose discovery and development tend to follow routes somewhat different from synthetic compounds, is included here, as well as accounts of patent issues that arise in the discovery phase, and a chapter on research management in this environment. The third section of the book deals with drug development: the work that has to be undertaken to turn the drug candidate that emerges from the discovery process into a product on the market. The definitive introduction to how a pharmaceutical company goes about its business of discovering and developing drugs. The second edition has a new editor: Professor Raymond Hill ● non-executive director of Addex Pharmaceuticals, Covagen and of Orexo AB ● Visiting Industrial Professor of Pharmacology in the University of Bristol ● Visiting Professor in the School of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Surrey ● Visiting Professor in Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Strathclyde ● President and Chair of the Council of the British Pharmacological Society ● member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs. New to this edition: Completely rewritten chapter on The Role of Medicinal Chemistry in the Drug Discovery Process. New topic - DMPK Optimization Strategy in drug discovery. New chapter on Scaffolds: Small globular proteins as antibody substitutes. Totally updated chapters on Intellectual Property and Marketing 50 new illustrations in full colour Features Accessible, general guide to pharmaceutical research and development. Examines the interfaces between cost and social benefit, quality control and mass production, regulatory bodies, patent management, and all interdisciplinary intersections essential to effective drug development. Written by a strong team of scientists with long experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Solid overview of all the steps from lab bench to market in an easy-to-understand way which will be accessible to non-specialists. From customer reviews of the previous edition: ‘... it will have everything you need to know on this module. Deeply referenced and, thus, deeply reliable. Highly Commended in the medicine category of the BMA 2006 medical book competition Winner of the Royal Society of Medicine Library Prize for Medical Book of the Year

Social Aspects of Drug Discovery, Development and Commercialization provides an insightful analysis of the drug discovery and development landscape as it relates to society. This book examines the scientific, legal, philosophical, economic, political, ethical and cultural factors that contribute to drug development. The pharmaceutical industry is under scrutiny to develop safer and more effective drugs in a quicker and more affordable manner. Recent criticism and debates have emphasized varying opinions on the issues concerning the drug discovery and development process. This book provides thoughtful and valuable discussions and analysis of the social challenges and potential opportunities through all stages of the pharmaceutical process, from inception through marketing. With a unique focus on the social factors that increasingly play a role in how drug development is planned, structured, and executed throughout the drug product lifecycle, this is an essential resource for students, professors, and researchers who seek a better understanding of the interface between the pharmaceutical industry, health care systems, and society. Organized in a sequence of interrelated theories and principles that provide the foundation for increased understanding of the relevant social aspects Includes analysis of important new advances, key scientific and strategic issues, and overviews of recent progress in drug development Provides a global perspective with examples from developed areas, such as the US, Japan, Canada and Europe, as well as faster-growing and emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India, and China Serves as an essential resource for students, professors, and researchers who seek a better understanding of the interface between the pharmaceutical industry, health care systems, and society

Small Molecule Drug Discovery: Methods, Molecules and Applications presents the methods used to identify bioactive small molecules, synthetic strategies and techniques to produce novel chemical entities and small molecule libraries, chemoinformatics to characterize and enumerate chemical libraries, and screening methods, including biophysical techniques, virtual screening and phenotypic screening. The second part of the book gives an overview of privileged cyclic small molecules and major classes of natural product-derived small molecules, including carbohydrate-derived compounds, peptides and peptidomimetics, and alkaloid-inspired compounds. The last section comprises an exciting collection of selected case studies on drug discovery enabled by small molecules in the fields of cancer research, CNS diseases and infectious diseases. The discovery of novel molecular entities capable of specific interactions represents a significant challenge in early drug discovery. Small molecules are low molecular weight organic compounds that include natural products and metabolites, as well as drugs and other xenobiotics. When the biological target is well defined and understood, the rational design of small molecule ligands is possible. Alternatively, small molecule libraries are being used for unbiased assays for complex diseases where a target is unknown or multiple factors contribute to a disease pathology. Outlines modern concepts and synthetic strategies underlying the building of small molecules and their chemical libraries useful for drug discovery Provides modern biophysical methods to screening small molecule libraries, including high-throughput screening, small molecule microarrays, phenotypic screening and chemical genetics Presents the most advanced chemoinformatics tools to characterize the structural features of small molecule libraries in terms of chemical diversity and complexity, also including the application of virtual screening approaches Gives an overview of structural features and classification of natural product-derived small molecules, including carbohydrate derivatives, peptides and peptidomimetics, and alkaloid-inspired small molecules

Natural products are a constant source of potentially active compounds for the treatment of various disorders. The Middle East and tropical regions are believed to have the richest supplies of natural products in the world. Plant derived secondary metabolites have been used by humans to treat acute infections, health disorders and chronic illness for tens of thousands of years. Only during the last 100 years have natural products been largely replaced by synthetic drugs. Estimates of 200 000 natural products in plant species have been revised upward as mass spectrometry techniques have developed. For developing countries the identification and use of endogenous medicinal plants as cures against cancers has become attractive. Books on drug discovery will play vital role in the new era of disease treatment using natural products.

With its focus on drugs so recently introduced that they have yet to be found in any other textbooks or general references, the information and insight found here makes this a genuinely unique handbook and reference. Following the successful approach of the previous volumes in the series, inventors and primary developers of successful drugs from both industry and academia tell the story of the drug's discovery and describe the sometimes twisted route from the first drug candidate molecule to the final marketed drug. The 11 case studies selected describe recent drugs ranging across many therapeutic fields and provide a representative cross-section of present-day drug developments. Backed by plenty of data and chemical information, the insight and experience of today's top drug creators makes this one of the most useful training manuals that a junior medicinal chemist may hope to find. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has endorsed and sponsored this project because of its high educational merit.

Drug Discovery in Cancer Epigenetics is a practical resource for scientists involved in the discovery, testing, and development of epigenetic cancer drugs. Epigenetic modifications can have significant implications for translational science as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis or therapy prediction. Most importantly, epigenetic modifications are reversible and epigenetic players are found mutated in different cancers; therefore, they provide attractive therapeutic targets. There has been great interest in developing and testing epigenetic drugs, which inhibit DNA methyltransferases, histone modifying enzymes or chromatin reader proteins. The first few drugs are already FDA approved and have made their way into clinical settings. This book provides a comprehensive summary of the epigenetic drugs currently available and aims to increase awareness in this area to foster more rapid translation of epigenetic drugs into the clinic. Highlights the potential of epigenetic alterations in cancer for drug development Covers the tools and methods for epigenetic drug discovery, preclinical and clinical testing, and clinical implications of epigenetic therapy Provides important information regarding putative epigenetic targets, epigenetic technologies, networks and consortia for epigenetic drug discovery and routes for translation

Drug Discovery Approaches for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders: Alzheimer’s Disease examines the drug discovery process for neurodegenerative diseases by focusing specifically on Alzheimer’s Disease and illustrating the paradigm necessary to ensure future research and treatment success. The book explores diagnosis, epidemiology, drug discovery strategies, current therapeutics, and much more to provide a holistic approach to the discovery, development, and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Through its coverage of the latest research in targeted drug design, preclinical studies, and mouse and rat models, the book is a must-have resource for all pharmaceutical scientists, pharmacologists, neuroscientists, and clinical researchers working in this area. It illustrates why these drugs tend to fail at the clinical stage, and examines Alzheimer’s Disease within the overall context of improving the drug discovery process for the treatment of other neurodegenerative disorders. Provides a compilation of chemical considerations required in drug discovery for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders Examines different classes of compounds currently being used in discovery and development stages Explores in vitro and in vivo models with respect to their ability to translate these models to human conditions Distills the most significant information across multiple areas of Alzheimer’s disease research to provide a single, comprehensive, and balanced resource

This book describes the processes that are involved in the development of new drugs. The authors discuss the history, role of natural products and concept of receptor interactions with regard to the initial stages of drug discovery. In a single, highly readable volume, it outlines the basics of pharmacological screening, drug target identification, and genetics involved in early drug discovery. The final chapters introduce readers to stem therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacovigilance, and toxicological testing. Given its scope, the book will enable research scholars, professionals and young scientists to understand the key fundamentals of drug discovery, including stereochemistry, pharmacokinetics, clinical trials, statistics and toxicology.