Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders is the summary of a workshop convened by the IOM Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders to examine opportunities to accelerate early phases of drug development for nervous system drug discovery. Workshop participants discussed challenges in neuroscience research for enabling faster entry of potential treatments into first-in-human trials, explored how new and emerging tools and technologies may improve the efficiency of research, and considered mechanisms to facilitate a more effective and efficient development pipeline. There are several challenges to the current drug development pipeline for nervous system disorders. The fundamental etiology and pathophysiology of many nervous system disorders are unknown and the brain is inaccessible to study, making it difficult to develop accurate models. Patient heterogeneity is high, disease pathology can occur years to decades before becoming clinically apparent, and diagnostic and treatment biomarkers are lacking. In addition, the lack of validated targets, limitations related to the predictive validity of animal models - the extent to which the model predicts clinical efficacy - and regulatory barriers can also impede translation and drug development for nervous system disorders. Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders identifies avenues for moving directly from cellular models to human trials, minimizing the need for animal models to test efficacy, and discusses the potential benefits and risks of such an approach. This report is a timely discussion of opportunities to improve early drug development with a focus toward preclinical trials.

A Comprehensive Guide to Toxicology in Nonclinical Drug Development, Second Edition, is a valuable reference designed to provide a complete understanding of all aspects of nonclinical toxicology in the development of small molecules and biologics. This updated edition has been reorganized and expanded to include important topics such as stem cells in nonclinical toxicology, inhalation and dermal toxicology, pitfalls in drug development, biomarkers in toxicology, and more. Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest scientific advances and with increased coverage of international regulatory guidelines, this second edition is an essential and practical resource for all toxicologists involved in nonclinical testing in industry, academic, and regulatory settings. - Provides unique content that is not always covered together in one comprehensive resource, including chapters on stem cells, abuse liability, biomarkers, inhalation toxicology, biostatistics, and more - Updated with the latest international guidelines for nonclinical toxicology in both small and large molecules - Incorporates practical examples in order to illustrate day-to-day activities and the expectations associated with working in nonclinical toxicology

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

Rare diseases collectively affect millions of Americans of all ages, but developing drugs and medical devices to prevent, diagnose, and treat these conditions is challenging. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends implementing an integrated national strategy to promote rare diseases research and product development.

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

Pharmacology in Drug Discovery and Development: Understanding Drug Response, Second Edition, is an introductory resource illustrating how pharmacology can be used to furnish the tools necessary to analyze different drug behavior and trace this behavior to its root cause or molecular mechanism of action. The concepts discussed in this book allow for the application of more predictive pharmacological procedures aimed at increasing therapeutic efficacy that will lead to more successful drug development. Chapters logically build upon one another to show how to characterize the pharmacology of any given molecule and allow for more informed predictions of drug effects in all biological systems. New chapters are dedicated to the interdisciplinary drug discovery environment in both industry and academia, and special techniques involved in new drug screening and lead optimization. This edition has been fully revised to address the latest advances and research related to real time kinetic assays, pluridimensional efficacy, signaling bias, irreversible and chemical antagonism, allosterically-induced bias, pharmacokinetics and safety, target and pathway validation, and much more. With numerous valuable chapter summaries, detailed references, practical examples and case studies throughout, Dr. Kenakin successfully navigates a highly complex subject, making it accessible for students, professors, and new researchers working in pharmacology and drug discovery. - Includes example-based cases that illustrate how the pharmacological concepts discussed in this book lead to practical outcomes for further research - Provides vignettes on those researchers and scientists who have contributed significantly to the fields of pharmacology and drug discovery throughout history - Offers sample questions throughout the book and an appendix containing answers for self-testing and retention

The very rapid pace of advances in biomedical research promises us a wide range of new drugs, medical devices, and clinical procedures. The extent to which these discoveries will benefit the public, however, depends in large part on the methods we choose for developing and testing them. Modern Methods of Clinical Investigation focuses on strategies for clinical evaluation and their role in uncovering the actual benefits and risks of medical innovation. Essays explore differences in our current systems for evaluating drugs, medical devices, and clinical procedures; health insurance databases as a tool for assessing treatment outcomes; the role of the medical profession, the Food and Drug Administration, and industry in stimulating the use of evaluative methods; and more. This book will be of special interest to policymakers, regulators, executives in the medical industry, clinical researchers, and physicians.