Taxol is arguably the most celebrated, talked-about and controversial natural product in recent years. It is celebrated because of its efficacy as an anti-cancer drug and because its discovery has provided powerful support for policies concerned with biodiversity; talked about because in the late 1980s and early 1990s the American public was bombarded with news reports and special programmes about the molecule and its host, the Pacific yew; and controversial because during the early 1990s the drug and the tree became embroiled in a number of very sensitive political issues with wide implications for the conduct of public policy. The Story of Taxol tells this story.

Edited by three of the world's leading pharmaceutical scientists, this is the first book on this important and hot topic, containing much previously unpublished information. As such, it covers all aspects of green chemistry in the pharmaceutical industry, from simple molecules to complex proteins, and from drug discovery to the fate of pharmaceuticals in the environment. Furthermore, this ready reference contains several convincing case studies from industry, such as Taxol, Pregabalin and Crestor, illustrating how this multidisciplinary approach has yielded efficient and environmentally-friendly processes. Finally, a section on technology and tools highlights the advantages of green chemistry.

K.C. Nicolaou - Winner of the Nemitsas Prize 2014 in Chemistry Here, the best-selling author and renowned researcher, K. C. Nicolaou, presents around 40 natural products that all have an enormous impact on our everyday life. Printed in full color throughout with a host of pictures, this book is written in the author's very enjoyable and distinct style, such that each chapter is full of interesting and entertaining information on the facts, stories and people behind the scenes. Molecules covered span the healthy and useful, as well as the much-needed and extremely toxic, including Aspirin, urea, camphor, morphine, strychnine, penicillin, vitamin B12, Taxol, Brevetoxin and quinine. A veritable pleasure to read.

Drugs like Lipitor, Plavix, Taxol, and Zoloft are integral in today's medicinal world. These widely used products save lives and improve the quality of lives, playing a crucial role in everything from cholesterol management to cancer treatment. These advances in medicine were brought into existence after nuanced process of creation, featuring a wide range of chemical and pharmacological experimentation and discovery. Top Drugs: Their History, Pharmacology, and Synthesis provides an in-depth study on ten prominent drugs, outlining the chemistry behind each one's creation. Jie Jack Li, a medicinal chemist and an expert on drug discovery, offers a thorough analysis of the landscape of current drug development. The comprehensive text is divided by health issues, including cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic diseases, and infectious diseases. Each section features individual chapters on significant drugs, outlining the chemistry and history of the drug's discovery. Li begins each chapter with the product's history, providing necessary context. Li then proceeds to describe the mechanism of action, structure-activity relationship (SAR), bioavailability, metabolism, toxicology, the discovery route, and the process route. Top Drugs: Their History, Pharmacology, and Synthesis will acclimate students, scientists, and interested laypersons to the world of chemistry and drug discovery.

Two years after she underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy, Barbara Bradfield's aggressive breast cancer had recurred and spread to her lungs. The outlook was grim. Then she took part in Genentech's clinical trials for a new drug. Five years later she remains cancer-free. Her-2 is the biography of Herceptin, the drug that provoked dramatic responses in Barbara Bradfield and other women in the trials and that offers promise for hundreds of thousands of breast cancer patients. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation, Herceptin has no disabling side effects. It works by inactivating Her-2/neu--a protein that makes cancer cells grow especially quickly-- produced by a gene found in 25 to 30 percent of all breast tumors. Herceptin caused some patients' cancers to disappear completely; in others, it slowed the progression of the disease and gave the women months or years they wouldn't otherwise have had. Herceptin is the first treatment targeted at a gene defect that gives rise to cancer. It marks the beginning of a new era of treatment for all kinds of cancers. Robert Bazell presents a riveting account of how Herceptin was born. Her-2 is a story of dramatic discoveries and strong personalities, showing the combination of scientific investigation, money, politics, ego, corporate decisions, patient activism, and luck involved in moving this groundbreaking drug from the lab to a patient's bedside. Bazell's deft portraits introduce us to the remarkable people instrumental in Herceptin's history, including Dr. Dennis Slamon, the driven UCLA oncologist who played the primary role in developing the treatment; Lily Tartikoff, wife of television executive Brandon Tartikoff, who tapped into Hollywood money and glamour to help fund Slamon's research; and Marti Nelson, who inspired the activists who lobbied for a "compassionate use" program that would allow women outside the clinical trials to have access to the limited supplies of Herceptin prior to FDA approval of the drug. And throughout there are the stories of the heroic women with advanced breast cancer who volunteered for the trials, risking what time they had left on an unproven treatment. Meticulously researched, written with clarity and compassion, Her-2 is masterly reporting on cutting-edge science.

This text comprehensively covers the analysis, enzymology, physiology and genetics of valuable natural products used in the food industry that are attractive targets for biotechnological production. The focus is on the recent advances made to achieve this goal. This unique work is the first book to focus on biotechnological production of important natural products in food additives, fragrances and flavorings, and other bioactive compounds in food. The chapters offer a deep insight into modern research and the development of low molecular weight natural products. Biotechnology of Natural Products covers products in the Phenolic, Terpenoid, and Alkaloid categories, providing a full overview of the biotechnology of food additives and other low molecular weight natural products. Gene clustering and the evolution of pathways are covered, as well as future perspectives on the topic. Due to limited oil resources and increasing consumer demand for naturalness, bioprocesses are increasingly needed to meet these requirements. Novel sophisticated technologies have facilitated the elucidation of new chemical molecules, their biosynthetic pathways and biological functions. This book provides researchers with a full overview of the technologies and processes involved in the biotechnology of natural products.