Drug Discovery: A History - Softcover

Sneader, Walter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471899801 ISBN 13: 9780471899808

Publisher: Wiley-Interscience, 2005

Synopsis

Written by a leading authority with an excellent reputation and ability for writing a good narrative, "Drug Discovery: A History" is a far cry from simply a list of chemical structures. This lively new text considers the origins, development and history of medicines that generate high media interest and have a huge social and economic impact on society. Set within a wide historical, social and cultural context, it provides expanded coverage of pre-twentieth century drugs, the huge advances made in the twentieth century and the latest developments in drug research. This title features up-to-the-minute information in drug research and vignettes of special and unusual information, and anecdotes. It discusses drug prototypes from all sources. It is more comprehensive than other volumes on history of drug discovery. From the reviews: '...an excellent bibliographic resource for those interested in the background papers that serve as the foundation for discovery of specific drug entities' - "Journal of Medical Chemistry", June 2006. '...a very comprehensive overview of drug development. It should be on the shelf on any aspiring pharmacist, medicinal chemist, or person interested in the history of therapeutic agents' - "Journal of Chemical Education", February 2006. '...a very readable and closely researched book...' - "Chemistry & Industry", October 2005.

About this title

Review:

"...a book of great merit and considerable scholarship..." -- Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Vol 98, November 2005

"...a very readable and closely researched book..." -- Chemistry & Industry, Issue 9, 3rd October 2005

"...comprehensive..." -- Accident & Emergency Nursing, Vol 13, 2005

"...crammed with interesting facts and anecdotes." -- The Lancet, 2nd July 2005

"...the book is great value for everybody..." -- Pharmazie, Vol 60, December 2005

From the Back Cover:

The process of discovery of medicinal compounds has evolved over millennia, from Neanderthal man's use of medicinal herbs to the highly-evolved techniques of biotechnology and high-throughput screening used by today's medicinal chemists. Drug Discovery - A History reviews the full panoply of discovery of therapeutic compounds in use today.
The book is divided into three parts. The first, the Legacy of the Past, gives an overview of medicinal compounds in society, ranging from the earliest use of medicinal herbs through the ancient civilisations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, concluding with an overview of development of life-saving organic compounds in the 20th century. The second part examines the commonest source of the drug - the natural world. Prototypes from vegetable, animal, and microbial sources are described in separate chapters, as are the medicinal compounds prepared from them. The problem of relying on nature as a source of drug prototypes is confronted. Part Three considers synthetic compounds that have served as drug prototypes, the role of serendipity in providing these synthetic prototypes, and a review of compounds derived from them.
Drug Discovery - A History is essential reading for medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, organic chemists, physicians, researchers and anyone with an interest in the development of therapeutic drugs.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0471899801
• ISBN 13: 9780471899808
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 472