Medicinal Chemistry

Fully updated and rewritten by a basic scientist who is also a practising physician, the third edition of this popular textbook remains comprehensive, authoritative and readable. Taking a receptor-based, target-centered approach, it presents the concepts central to the study of drug action in a logical, mechanistic way grounded on molecular and biochemical principles. Students of pharmacy, chemistry and pharmacology, as well as researchers interested in a better understanding of drug design, will find this book an invaluable resource.

Starting with an overview of basic principles, Medicinal Chemistry examines the properties of drug molecules, the characteristics of drug receptors, and the nature of drug-receptor interactions. Then it systematically examines the various families of receptors involved in human disease and drug design. The first three classes of receptors are related to endogenous molecules: neurotransmitters, hormones and immunomodulators. Next, receptors associated with cellular organelles (mitochondria, cell nucleus), endogenous macromolecules (membrane proteins, cytoplasmic enzymes) and exogenous pathogens (viruses, bacteria) are exained. Through this evaluation of receptors, all the main types of human disease and all major categories of drugs are considered.

There have been many changes in the third edition, including a new chapter on the immune system. Because of their increasingly prominent role in drug discovery, molecular modeling techniques, high throughput screening, neurpharmacology and genetics/genomics are given much more attention. The chapter on hormonal therapies has been thoroughly updated and re-organized. Emerging enzyme targets in drug design (e.g. kinases, caspases) are discussed, and recent information on voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels has been incorporated. The sections on antihypertensive, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiarrhythmic, and anticancer drugs, as well as treatments for hyperlipidemia and peptic ulcer, have been substantially expanded. One new feature will enhance the book's appeal to all readers: clinical-molecular interface sections that facilitate understanding of the treatment of human disease at a molecular level.

Readership: Students of pharmacy, chemistry and pharmacology, as well as researchers interested in a better understanding of drug design, will continue to find this book an invaluable resource.

Thomas Nogrady, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Concordia University (Emeritus), Canada, and Donald F. Weaver, Canada Research Chair and Professor of Medicine and Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Canada

"From reviews of previous editions:"

""The book is a welcome and refreshing approach to the presentation of medicinal chemistry, and it should prove valuable to the audience for which it was intended."" - Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

""This book would be a valuable addition to any library that supports programs in medicinal chemistry or the other pharmaceutical sciences."" - Americal Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

""The text is very readable and each chapter has a bibliogrpahy for further reading. The book will be very useful for those wishing to understand the mechanisms of drug action and how to design new drugs."" - International Journal of Biochemistry

Part I: General Molecular Principles of Drug Design
1: Basic Principles of Drug Design I: Drug Molecules: Structure and Properties
2: Basic Principles of Drug Design II: Receptors: Structures and Properties
3: Basic Principles of Drug Design III: Designing Drug Molecules to Fit Receptors
Part II: Biochemical Considerations in Drug Design: From Druggable Targets to Diseases
4: Messenger Targets for Drug Action I: Neurotransmitters and Their Receptors
5: Messenger Targets for Drug Action II: Hormones and Their Receptors
6: Messenger Targets for Drug Action III: Immunomodulators and Their Receptors
7: Nonmessenger Targets for Drug Action I: Endogenous Cellular Structures
8: Nonmessenger Targets for Drug Action II: Endogenous Macromolecules
9: Nonmessenger Targets for Drug Action III: Exogenous Pathogens and Toxins
Appendix: Drugs arranged by pharmacologic activity