The topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drug ability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine.

New and emerging directions in pharmaceutical research to better treat schizophrenia Although the dopamine hypothesis has been the cornerstone of schizophrenia therapeutics, it is clear that dopamine-based approaches do not treat all aspects of the disease. Moreover, many schizophrenia patients fail to respond to current antipsychotics. Integrating chemistry, biology, and pharmacology, this book explores emerging directions in pharmaceutical research for drug targeting and discovery in order to find more effective treatments for schizophrenia, one of the most serious and widespread psychiatric diseases. Targets and Emerging Therapies for Schizophrenia presents the basics of schizophrenia, drug targets for the disease, and potential new drugs and therapeutics. It begins with a discussion of prevalence and etiology. Then, it describes therapies such as dopamine agonists and phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors as well as growing research aimed at addressing untreated symptoms. Next, the authors discuss receptor modulators, inhibitors, and targeting strategies for drug discovery. Both the neurobiological and chemical aspects of all major pharmacological targets are examined. With contributions from an international team of pioneering pharmaceutical researchers, this book compiles the current knowledge in the field, setting the stage for new breakthroughs in the treatment of schizophrenia. Targets and Emerging Therapies for Schizophrenia: Provides a comprehensive resource for neuro-drug discovery and the development of molecular targets for schizophrenia treatment Draws from chemistry, biology, and pharmacology for more effective drug targeting and discovery Explores a wide range of receptors and molecular targets, including dopamine, PDEs, and neuropeptides With Targets and Emerging Therapies for Schizophrenia as their guide, drug discovery and development scientists have the information they need to advance their own research so that new, more effective treatments for schizophrenia will soon be a reality.

The new edition of this popular handbook has been thoroughly updated to include the latest data concerning treatment of first-episode patients. Drawing from their experience, the authors discuss the presentation and assessment of the first psychotic episode and review the appropriate use of antipsychotic agents and psychosocial approaches in effective management.

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.

This volume tries to put current therapy - achievements, shortcomings, remaining medical needs - and emerging new targets into the context of increasing knowledge regarding the genetic and neurodevelopmental contributions to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Some of the chapters also deal with respective experimental and clinical methodology, biomarkers, and translational aspects of drug development. The volume concentrates on reviewing the ongoing research attempting to identify novel treatments for the cognitive deficits and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, which are not treated adequately by current antipsychotic medications.

Schizophrenia is often associated with an inadequate response to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. How to treat patients who have an unsatisfactory response to anti-psychotics, including clozapine - which is unequivocally the most powerful antipsychotic medication for this recalcitrant population - remains a clinical conundrum. A range of adjunctive medications have been tried with mixed results; there has also been renewed interest in the role of neuromodulatory strategies, electroconvulsive therapy, and cognitive and vocational approaches. Perhaps a bright spot for the future lies in the evolution of pharmacogenetic approaches for individualized care. In this book, leading experts from Europe, Australia and the Americas provide a timely appraisal of treatments for the most severely ill schizophrenia patients. This clinically focused book is informed by the latest research on the neurobiology and treatment of schizophrenia. It is comprehensive in scope, covering current treatment options, various add-on approaches, and a range of psychosocial treatments. The contributors are respected experts who have combined their clinical experience with cutting-edge research to provide readers with authoritative information on fundamental aspects of clinical care for schizophrenia.

Implantable technologies allow for a sustained control over the release of pharmaceuticals into the bloodstream thereby achieving a controlled concentration with the potential to minimise side-effects while increasing patient compliance. Significant progress has been made in various alternative implantable delivery technologies, notably in intraocular and subcutaneous devices. Despite success in research and clinical studies, long-term clinical efficacy may be more limited and different aspects related to drug development and commercialization using these technologies are not well understood or practiced in the commercial setting. This book provides a comprehensive and cohesive picture of the latest in the field while also outlining the opportunities and challenges in implantable technology. Implantable Technologies: Pepties and Biologic Drug Development is an ideal reference for any postgraduate or researcher interested in utilising implantable technologies and novel routes of drug administration. The book will also be of interest to those involved in formulation and clinical application for a wide array of disease areas in addition to more established paradigms such as diabetes and pain management.