Quantitative Pharmacological Studies

In 2011, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with leaders from the pharmaceutical industry and the academic community, published a white paper describing the emerging discipline of Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP), and recommended the establishment of NIH-supported interdisciplinary research and training programs for QSP. QSP is still in its infancy, but has tremendous potential to change the way we approach biomedical research. QSP is really the integration of two disciplines that have been increasingly useful in biomedical research; “Systems Biology” and “Quantitative Pharmacology”. Systems Biology is the field of biomedical research that seeks to understand the relationships between genes and biologically active molecules to develop qualitative models of these systems; and Quantitative Pharmacology is the field of biomedical research that seeks to use computer aided modeling and simulation to increase our understanding of the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of drugs, and to aid in the design of pre-clinical and clinical experiments. The purpose of QSP modeling is to develop quantitative computer models of biological systems and disease processes, and the effects of drug PK and PD on those systems. QSP models allow testing of numerous potential experiments “in-silico” to eliminate those associated with a low probability of success, avoiding the potential costs of evaluating all of those failed experiments in the real world. At the same time, QSP models allow us to develop our understanding of the interaction between drugs and biological systems in a more systematic and rigorous manner. As the need to be more cost-efficient in the use of research funding increases, biomedical researchers will be required to gain the maximum insight from each experiment that is conducted. This need is even more acute in the pharmaceutical industry, where there is tremendous competition to develop innovative therapies in a highly regulated environment, combined with very high research and development (R&D) costs for bringing new drugs to market (~$1.3 billion/drug). Analogous modeling & simulation approaches have been successfully integrated into other disciplines to improve the fundamental understanding of the science and to improve the efficiency of R&D (e.g., physics, engineering, economics, etc.). The biomedical research community has been slow to integrate computer aided modeling & simulation for many reasons: including the perception that biology and pharmacology are “too complex” and “too variable” to be modeled with mathematical equations; a lack of adequate graduate training programs; and the lack of support from government agencies that fund biomedical research. However, there is an active community of researchers in the pharmaceutical industry, the academic community, and government agencies that develop QSP and quantitative systems biology models and apply them both to better characterize and predict drug pharmacology and disease processes; as well as to improve efficiency and productivity in pharmaceutical R&D.

This contributed volume presents an overview of concepts, methods, and applications used in several quantitative areas of drug research, development, and marketing. Chapters bring together the theories and applications of various disciplines, allowing readers to learn more about quantitative fields, and to better recognize the differences between them. Because it provides a thorough overview, this will serve as a self-contained resource for readers interested in the pharmaceutical industry, and the quantitative methods that serve as its foundation. Specific disciplines covered include: Biostatistics Pharmacometrics Genomics Bioinformatics Pharmacoepidemiology Commercial analytics Operational analytics Quantitative Methods in Pharmaceutical Research and Development is ideal for undergraduate students interested in learning about real-world applications of quantitative methods, and the potential career options open to them. It will also be of interest to experts working in these areas.

PKPD awareness is vital if we are to attempt to relate preclinical results to the acute and long term consequences in humans. The debate on whether preclinical findings can be translated to the human usage is still engaging scientists across industry, academia and regulatory bodies. Pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) comprise traditionally distinct disciplines within pharmacology, the study of the interaction of drugs with the body. It is our intention to show that by deliberately, intimately and systematically integrate these disciplines our understanding of drugs and the efficiency and effectiveness of drug discovery and development may be greatly enhanced. The book is therefore written with a broad audience in mind and focuses on concepts. Pharmacologists of all sorts, safety scientists, pharmacokineticists, medicinal chemists, clinicians, statisticians, veterinarians, animal science professionals, project leaders and students of medical, pharmaceutical and veterinary sciences are the primary targets. This textbook Introduces the basics of PK and PD concepts Outlines the implications of integrating PK and PD analysis Introduces the principles behind different biomarkers and inter-species scaling Discusses experimental design of PK, PD and safety studies in non-human species Covers numerous real life Case Studies from the drug discovery arena

Pharmacometrics is the science of interpreting and describing pharmacology in a quantitative fashion. The pharmaceutical industry is integrating pharmacometrics into its drug development program, but there is a lack of and need for experienced pharmacometricians since fewer and fewer academic programs exist to train them. Pharmacometrics: The Science of Quantitative Pharmacology lays out the science of pharmacometrics and its application to drug development, evaluation, and patient pharmacotherapy, providing a comprehensive set of tools for the training and development of pharmacometricians. Edited and written by key leaders in the field, this flagship text on pharmacometrics: Integrates theory and practice to let the reader apply principles and concepts. Provides a comprehensive set of tools for training and developing expertise in the pharmacometric field. Is unique in including computer code information with the examples. This volume is an invaluable resource for all pharmacometricians, statisticians, teachers, graduate and undergraduate students in academia, industry, and regulatory agencies.

This practical handbook aims at familiarizing students and scientists with the most common calculations encountered in the pharmaceutical sciences. It consolidates theoretical knowledge by applying it to the solution of real problems. Each chapter provides a short introduction of the relevant theory and includes equations to aid the comprehension of the theoretical principle. The text includes 220 solved examples and 250 problems and answers. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Quantitative Molecular Pharmacology and Informatics in Drug Discovery Michael Lutz, Section Head, Cheminformatics Group and Terry Kenakin, Principal Research Scientist, Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA Quantitative Molecular Pharmacology and Informatics in Drug Discovery combines pharmacology, genetics and statistics to provide a complete guide to the modern drug discovery process. The book discusses the pharmacology of drug testing and provides a detailed description of the statistical methods used to analyze the resulting data. Application of genetic and genomic tools for identification of biological targets is reviewed in the context of drug discovery projects. Covering both the theoretical principles upon which the techniques are based and the practicalities of drug discovery, this informative guide. * outlines in step-by-step detail the advantages and disadvantages of each technology and approach and links these to the type of chemical target being sought after in the drug discovery process; and, * provides excellent demonstrations of how to use powerful pharmacological and statistical tools to optimize high-throughput screening assays. Written by two internationally known and well-regarded experts, this book is an essential reference for research and development scientists working in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It will also be useful for postgraduates studying pharmacology and applied statistics.

Since the publication of the first edition, the field has changed dramatically. Scientists can now explicitly consider 3D features in quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies and often have the 3D structure of the macromolecular target to guide the 3D QSAR. Improvements in computer hardware and software have also made the methods

Pharmacometrics is the science of interpreting and describing pharmacology in a quantitative fashion. The pharmaceutical industry is integrating pharmacometrics into its drug development program, but there is a lack of and need for experienced pharmacometricians since fewer and fewer academic programs exist to train them. Pharmacometrics: The Science of Quantitative Pharmacology lays out the science of pharmacometrics and its application to drug development, evaluation, and patient pharmacotherapy, providing a comprehensive set of tools for the training and development of pharmacometricians. Edited and written by key leaders in the field, this flagship text on pharmacometrics: Integrates theory and practice to let the reader apply principles and concepts. Provides a comprehensive set of tools for training and developing expertise in the pharmacometric field. Is unique in including computer code information with the examples. This volume is an invaluable resource for all pharmacometricians, statisticians, teachers, graduate and undergraduate students in academia, industry, and regulatory agencies.