An eminent scientist talks about the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology and the future of drug research. In the course of our busy, technologically-driven lives, it is taken for granted that we respond to minor fluctuations in our health by taking pills -- pills for headache and for toothache; sleeping pills and tranquilizers; pills to lower fever, quiet coughs, and clear the sinuses; medicines to reduce appetite; preparations to relieve heartburn; and many more. In the war against serious disease, medicines are an indispensable weapon in the physician's arsenal: they save lives, or at least prolong them and make them more bearable. Despite the important role that pharmaceuticals play in our lives, few of us know where medicines come from or how the pharmaceutical industry discovers and develops new drugs. Jurgen Drews, an acclaimed leader in the pharmaceutical industry, tells the fascinating story of drug discovery and development from his years of successfully leading internatnional research teams at Hoffman-LaRoche. Drews traces the history of modern drug development from pharmacies, chemical companies, and individual entrepeneurs in Switzerland, Germany and the U.S. to the mega-corporations that dot the landscape of Europe, Japan and America. He describes the process by which new drugs are tested and brought to market, including a provacative look at how AIDS activism stimulated the approval process in the US. Drews' commentary on the role of clinical trials -- the time involved and their cost -- is sobering testimony to the complexity of bringing innovation to the marketplace. In the final two chapters of "In Quest of Tomorrow's Medicines", Drews offers an important and critical analysis of research in the the pharmaceutical industry, pointing to strategies that work and management practices that impede progress. Drews' comments on the impact that the growing relationship between the biotechnology industry and university-sponsored research will have ont he pharmaceutical industry makes provocative reading for pharmaceutical researchers, managers and investors. "In Quest of Tomorrow's Medicines" in written in clear, thoughtful language for people in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, as well as policy makers, industry analysts and observers.

Drug discovery increasingly requires a common understanding by researchers of the many and diverse factors that go into the making of new medicines. The scientist entering the field will immediately face important issues for which his education may not have prepared him: project teams, patent law, consultants, target product profiles, industry trends, Gantt charts, target validation, pharmacokinetics, proteomics, phenotype assays, biomarkers, and many other unfamiliar topics for which a basic understanding must somehow be obtained. Even the more experienced scientist can find it frustratingly difficult to get an overview of the many factors involved in modern drug discovery and often only after years of exploring does a whole and integrated picture emerge in the mind of the researcher.Real World Drug Discovery: A Chemist's Guide to Biotech and Pharmaceutical Research presents this kind of map of the landscape of drug discovery. In a single, readable volume it outlines processes and explains essential concepts and terms for the recent science graduate wondering what to expect in pharma or biotech, the medicinal chemist seeking a broader and more timely understanding of the industry, or the contractor or collaborator whose understanding of the commercial drug discovery process could increase the value of his contribution to it. - Interviews with well-known experts in many of the fields involved, giving insightful comments from authorities on many of the sub-disciplines important to cutting edge drug discovery. - Helpful suggestions gleaned from years of experience in biotech and pharma, which represents a repository drug discovery "lore" not previously available in any book. - "Periodic Table of Drugs" listing current top-selling drugs arranged by target and laid out so that structural similarities and differences are plain and clear. - Extensive use of diagrams to illustrate concepts like biotech startup models, preteomic profiling for target identification, Gantt charts for project planning, etc.

For many people, taking some form of medication is part of everyday life, whether for mild or severe illness, acute or chronic disease, to target infection or to relieve pain. However for most it remains a mystery as to what happens once the drug has been taken into the body: how do the drugs actually work? Furthermore, by what processes are new drugs discovered and brought to market? An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, sixth edition, provides an accessible and comprehensive account of this fascinating multidisciplinary field. Assuming little prior knowledge, the text is ideal for those studying the subject for the first time. Part one of the book introduces the principles of drug action via targets such as receptors and enzymes. The book goes on to explore how drugs work at the molecular level (pharmacodynamics), and the processes involved in ensuring a drug meets its target (pharmacokinetics). Further sections cover the processes by which drugs are discovered and designed, and what has to happen before a drug can be made available to the public. The book concludes with a selection of current topics in medicinal chemistry, and a discussion of various key drug groups. The subject is brought to life throughout by engaging case studies highlighting particular drugs and the stories behind their discovery and development. The Online Resource Centre features: For students: DT Multiple Choice Questions to support self-directed learning DT Web articles describing recent developments in the field and further information on topics covered in the book DT Journal Club to encourage students to critically analyse the research literature DT Molecular Modelling Exercises, with new exercises in Chem3D DT New assignments to help students develop data analysis and problem solving skills For registered adopters of the book: DT A test bank of additional multiple-choice questions, with links to relevant sections in the book DT Answers to end-of-chapter questions. DT Figures from the book, ready to download. DT Power Point slides to accompany every chapter in the book.

Drs. Greek have written 2 books on why using animals as models for humans is not the best way to conduct medical research and drug testing. During their lectures and debates, the most commonly asked question was, "Well. What will we use if we don't use animals?" What Will We Do If We Don't Experiment On Animals? Medical Research for the Twenty-first Century is the answer to that question. Drs. Greek explain briefly why one species cannot predict drug response for another and describe what research and testing methods should be used today instead of animals. They also describe where our biomedical research dollars should be spent if we are to have cures for cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer's. This book will appeal to science-trained and general audiences, animal lovers and science readers, public policy analysts, students, patients and patient support groups, and government watchdog groups. What Will We Do If We Don't Experiment On Animals? Medical Research for the Twenty-first Century takes medical research out of the nineteenth and into the 21st century.

Virtual screening can reduce costs and increase hit rates for lead discovery by eliminating the need for robotics, reagent acquisition or production, and compound storage facilities. The increased robustness of computational algorithms and scoring functions, the availability of affordable computational power, and the potential for timely structural

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