An Integrated Guide to Human Drug Metabolism: From Basic Chemical Transformations to Drug-Drug Interactions

An Integrated Guide to Human Drug Metabolism: From Basic Chemical Transformations to Drug-Drug Interactions uses the chemistry of each of the metabolic transformations to underpin the discussion of drug interactions with foods, herbal medicines, and other drugs. Each of the human metabolic processes are covered, employing examples drawn from known metabolic transformations of drugs used clinically. The clinical relevance of metabolism is discussed, focusing on appropriate prescribing (age-related dosage adjustments, routes of administration, and personalized medicines). Appropriate for use in the classroom or for self-study, this book is for students and researchers needing a reference for interdisciplinary research in drug interactions.

Metabolism is at the center of personalized medicine, as it is a governing factor in the response of the patient to a drug. For example, does the patient express the genes, and so enzymes, which are responsible for the metabolism of a drug? Do they express the genes responsible for the bioactivation of a prodrug into its active form? Examples of clinically used agents for which metabolic phenotyping is essential will be used to highlight the increasing necessity for understanding the genetic profile of individual patients. This book includes questions and answers to gauge learning of each chapter, real-life case studies, and the basic science as a basis for the discussion of clinical aspects.

• Covers each of the human metabolic processes, employing examples drawn from known metabolic transformations of drugs used clinically
• Provides an integrated approach, linking together the science and practice strands of human drug metabolism
• Contains questions and answers to assess learning of material and real-life case studies

Dr Mark Ashton started his career in the pharmaceutical industry in 2002 working in both medicinal chemistry and process chemistry departments. In 2010, Mark joined the School of Pharmacy at Sunderland University as a Senior Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry where he taught across a range of both undergraduate and postgraduate chemistry-based degree programmes, including all four stages of the MPharm degree. In 2017 Mark joined the School of Pharmacy at Newcastle University as a lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry where he has overseen the redevelopment of the chemistry strand of the MPharm degree to improve the integration between the science and practice aspects of the degree. His research interests include the development of new antiviral agents and synthetic biology.

Paul Groundwater gained his B.Sc. Chemistry and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Edinburgh. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra then joined the Cancer Research Campaign Experimental Chemotherapy Research Group, Aston University, UK. He was appointed to a Lectureship in the Department of Chemistry, Cardiff University and then was appointed to a Readership in Organic Chemistry in the Institute of Pharmacy and Chemistry at the University of Sunderland and was promoted to Professor, in the Sunderland Pharmacy School, in 2001. In 2009 he moved to the University of Sydney, where he is Prof. of Medicinal Chemistry and has served as Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) in the Faculty of Pharmacy. He has published more than 100 refereed articles, four books and 3 patents and has been a Guest Professor in the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P.R. China.

Dr Stocker is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Pharmacy, Sydney University. She is also an Honorary Senior Hospital Scientist in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, an Adjunct Senior Lecturer of the St Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales and an Honorary Scientist at the Garvan Medical Research Institute. Dr Stocker is the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology Australasian Student representative. Her research program involves clinical and experimental pharmacology, ethnopharmacology, pharmacogenomics, therapeutic drug monitoring, pharmacometrics and qualitative research on the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on drug disposition, efficacy and safety. Her research focuses on understanding variability in response to medicines and how this can be managed to optimise patient care. Dr Stocker is the author of over 40 scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Adam Todd is as an academic pharmacist (registrant of the General Pharmaceutical Council and a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society) and has experience of working in clinical practice for the last 15 years – across both primary care and hospital-based settings. To complement Adam’s clinical experience of pharmacy, he also holds a PhD in medicinal chemistry and is therefore able to integrate aspects of fundamental science with pharmacy practice – a unique selling point of our proposed book. Adam is an experienced educator, and currently holds an academic position at the Newcastle University where he is a Reader in Pharmaceutical Public Health and is helping to establish a new innovative pharmacy program. Adam has published more than 80 peer reviewed research papers, two textbooks, and one international patent.