The Science and Business of Drug Discovery : Demystifying the Jargon

__The Science and Business of Drug Discovery__ is written for those who want to learn about the biopharmaceutical industry and its products whatever their level of technical knowledge. Its aim is to demystify the jargon used in drug development, but in a way that avoids over simplification and the resulting loss of key information. Each of the nineteen chapters is illustrated with figures and tables which clarify some of the more technical points being made. Also included is a drug discovery case history which draws the relevant material together into a single chapter. In recognizing that it is difficult to navigate through the many external resources dealing with drug development, the book has been written to guide the reader towards the most appropriate information sources, including those listed in the two appendices. The following topics are covered: * Different types of drugs: from small molecules to stem cells * Background to chemistry of small and large molecules * Historical background to drug discovery, pharmacology and biotechnology * The drug discovery pipeline: from target discovery to marketed medicine * Commercial aspects of drug discovery * Challenges to the biopharmaceutical industry and its responses * Material of specific interest to technology transfer executives, recruiters and pharmaceutical translators **About the Author** **Dr. Edward D. Zanders** has over twenty years’ experience as a scientist and research manager in both a major pharmaceutical company and in smaller biotechnology organizations. He has been responsible for a number of drug discovery programs for diseases such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis and has been involved in research management at a senior level. He has also published extensively on subjects ranging from biochemistry and immunology to computer-aided drug design; more recently he has written about the application of online networking to drug discovery. In 2004 he founded PharmaGuide Ltd, a training and consultancy company that delivers courses on the drug discovery industry to various professional groups including technology transfer executives, recruiters and technical translators. It is through delivering these courses that he has been able to develop his own way of conveying complex information about drug discovery to non scientists, while at the same time being able to communicate with PhD level scientists at their level of expertise. Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Introduction....Pages 1-7 Front Matter....Pages 9-9 Introduction to Drugs and Drug Targets....Pages 11-27 Background to Chemistry of Small and Large Molecules....Pages 29-55 Laying the Foundations: Drug Discovery from Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century....Pages 57-90 Front Matter....Pages 91-91 Drug Discovery Pipeline Overview....Pages 93-95 Target Discovery....Pages 97-137 Medicinal Chemistry....Pages 139-158 Biotherapeutics....Pages 159-177 Screening for Hits....Pages 179-189 Process Chemistry and Formulation....Pages 191-202 Preclinical Development....Pages 203-225 Front Matter....Pages 227-227 Clinical Trials....Pages 229-253 Regulatory Affairs and Marketing Approval....Pages 255-267 Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine....Pages 269-289 Pulling It All Together: A Drug Development Case History....Pages 291-302 Front Matter....Pages 303-303 Commercial Aspects of Drug Development....Pages 305-328 Challenges and Responses....Pages 329-347 Front Matter....Pages 349-349 Technology Transfer Executives....Pages 351-358 Recruitment Executives....Pages 359-362 Pharmaceutical Translators and Interpreters....Pages 363-367 Back Matter....Pages 369-397 Here is a guide to the highly complex drug discovery industry, particularly ideal for those who have business dealings with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. It discusses the technical aspects of chemical and biological research.