In Search Of The Magic Bullet

Searching for Magic Bullets reveals the quest of consumers, health professionals, and drug developers to find safer and faster methods of bringing new medications to the marketplace. Authors Basara and Montagne explore the current drug development and approval processes, their strengths and weaknesses, and the mechanisms by which patients and organizations evade these processes. Readers learn about the fundamentals of traditional and nontraditional drug discovery and development as they occur in the U.S., as well as the views of consumers, patients, and health professionals. Specific case studies of non-traditional drug development and acquisition strategies are highlighted, including AIDS medications, orphan drugs, and patient importation of medications. Basara and Montagne establish the differences in both knowledge and opinions of health consumers and health professionals regarding drug development, as well as how these differences often lead to frustration, dissatisfaction, and misappropriation of resources. The authors pinpoint the need for consumers and patients to know much more about the discovery and development of medicines, and for health professionals and students to understand patients’concerns, needs and beliefs, including their reasons for considering alternative methods of drug development and acquisition. Searching for Magic Bullets is a springboard from which consumers, health professionals, and students can discuss, debate, and resolve these issues and begin to develop more capable drug development and approval systems. This groundbreaking new book enlightens health professionals about patients’views regarding medication discovery and development and informs consumers and patients about the sometimes conflicting views of health professionals. It is divided into three sections: drug development and approval in the U.S., a case study of orphan drugs, and risky and sometimes illegal ways in which consumers evade the traditional drug development and approval systems. An Overview of the Chapters: A Review of the Drug Development Process of the Pharmaceutical Industry: Presents the steps that must be taken when researching and developing a new medication. The Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Approval Process: Describes the history and scope of the FDA, the steps involved in acquiring drug approval, and the various stages of clinical testing. Orphan Drug Legislation: A review of the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 and the changes that have recently been proposed by Congress. The impact of the Act is highlighted through a description of products that have been made available since the legislation was enacted. Issues of controversy are also highlighted. Non-traditional Methods of Drug Development: The role of patients and consumers in drug development and evaluation is discussed, with an emphasis on the perceived shortcomings of the formal system. Patient Influence on Drug Development and Regulation: The influence of patient advocacy groups and consumers is discussed in relation to the development and approval of orphan drugs, the fast-tracking of specific medications, and the use of unapproved and alternative therapies. Prescription Drug Importation: Clarifies the current drug importation regulations, as well as provides specific directions for patients wishing to receive such products or learn more about FDA importation laws. The final chapter summarizes safe and rational techniques that empower consumers in their search for beneficial drug therapies. Resources and strategies for obtaining and using information are provided as a reference for readers. A glossary of terms, acronyms, and a directory of supplemental information sources strengthens the reader's understanding of the information presented. Who Benefits From This Book? Consumers and patients can use Searching for Magic Bullets as an accurate source of information about significant but often confusing medical issues. The FDA and the way medications are developed are easily misunderstood, while alternative therapies and medication sources are often believed to be the only options. Patients will learn the viewpoints of the pharmaceutical industry, the government, and their health care professionals; the rationale for various steps in the drug development process; the risks and benefits of participation in clinical trials; how to obtain the highest quality care, make informed health decisions, and reduce health care costs; and finally, how to cope with a rare disease and/or limited access to approved medications. The result is an informed, influential, and active patient. For health professionals, this book reviews the steps of drug development and approval and provides explanations for drug development decisions; drug approval time lag; and patient frustrations, misinterpretations, and expectations. It is critical for health professionals to understand the needs of patients and to determine how they can work with patients to find acceptable solutions. The literature references and medical information sources are invaluable in this regard. Pharmaceutical industry executives, product managers, clinical researchers, and sales representatives will find a concise and timely examination of the ways in which medications are discovered, developed, marketed, and used by patients. Discussions of orphan drug development, biotechnology products, and patient issues may also provide new insights into these often misunderstood areas. Pharmacy, medical, nursing, and other students will find this book a consolidated reference source and guidebook for information about the primary issues surrounding drug development and the FDA approval process. Patients’knowledge of alternative medical therapies will only increase and health care curricula must include material that helps students understand patients’perceptions of the medication development and approval systems, as well as the importance of patients in health care decisionmaking. The disadvantages of current drug development and approval systems are described with the hope that future health professionals can amend these processes and ultimately enhance patient care.

From Victorian anxieties about syphilis to the current hysteria over herpes and AIDS, the history of venereal disease in America requires us to examine social attitudes as well as purely medical concerns. This brilliant study is the first book to chronicle the range and direction of American reactions to the VD problem over the last hundred years. As the author makes clear, the medical promise of "magic bullets"--Drugs that would rid us of disease- is, in the case of VD, a promise unfulfilled. Despite dramatic advances, these diseases continue to exist in epidemic proportions. Focusing on this paradox of effective medicine and persistent disease, the author recounts the assorted medical, military, and public health responses to the problems that have arisen over the years; these have ranged from the widespread incarceration of prostitutes during World War I to the legal requirements for premarital blood tests. In the author's view, American concerns about venereal disease have been inextricably tied to a set of social and cultural values relating to sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and class. He shows how plans to combat sexually transmitted infections have typically emphasized the regulation of individual conduct. At the heart of such efforts, Brandt argues, is an ongoing tendency to see venereal disease as both a punishment for sexual misbehavior and an index of social decay. The tension between medical and moral approaches to VD has significantly impeded efforts to control these infections, for it has been too often assumed that merely controlling behavior is the answer. In tracing the social history of VD, this book offers a lucid, perceptive commentary on the relationship between medical science and cultural values, between sexuality and disease. -- from Book Jacket.

In his exciting new book, John Mann, author of the highly successful Murder, Magic, and Medicine, reveals the history of the drugs that are so commonplace today in the treatment of disease. While we can now treat so many of these illnesses, the side-effects caused by many of these treatmentscan be severe, and even more worrying - the bacteria are now becoming more resistant to the drugs (the so-called 'superbugs'). Scientists are also faced with a massive challenge in developing drugs that can effectively treat HIV, ebola, and many forms of cancer, but without the terribleside-effects of such treatments as chemotherapy or AZT - this is the quest for the 'magic bullet.' The book starts with a history of drug development, introducing us to some of the fascinating characters whose work so influenced the search for these drugs. Leading up to the present day, and theexciting advances being made within molecular biology, the book provides a lively, and fascinating introduction for non-scientists to one of the most exciting fields of activity within modern medicine.

From Victorian anxieties about syphilis to the current hysteria over herpes and AIDS, the history of venereal disease in America forces us to examine social attitudes as well as purely medical concerns. In No Magic Bullet, Allan M. Brandt recounts the various medical, military, and public health responses that have arisen over the years--a broad spectrum that ranges from the incarceration of prostitutes during World War I to the establishment of required premarital blood tests. Brandt demonstrates that Americans' concerns about venereal disease have centered around a set of social and cultural values related to sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and class. At the heart of our efforts to combat these infections, he argues, has been the tendency to view venereal disease as both a punishment for sexual misconduct and an index of social decay. This tension between medical and moral approaches has significantly impeded efforts to develop "magic bullets"--drugs that would rid us of the disease--as well as effective policies for controlling the infections' spread. In this 35th anniversary edition of No Magic Bullet, Brandt reflects on recent scholarship, the persistence of sexually transmitted diseases, and the trajectory of the HIV epidemic, as they have informed contemporary conceptions of biomedicine and global health.

Despite the high impact on human health caused by Tuberculosis (TB) infections worldwide, nearly 45 years have passed since a novel drug was introduced for its treatment. As MDR-TB and XDR-TB cases rise globally new strategies and drugs are desperately needed to address this problem. Tuberculosis Treatment: The Search For New Drugs covers a wide range of topics about TB drug discovery. The e-book begins with historical information about Tuberculosis discovery and treatment and explores modern treatment strategies, formulations (synthetic and natural) and class of compounds. The extraction of important drugs from various sources is also covered in separate chapters along with information about promising drugs undergoing clinical testing. The e-book is a useful reference for readers interested in learning about the array of pharmaceuticals discovered and used to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections.