Book Description
For many people, taking some form of medication is part of everyday life, whether for mild or severe illness, acute or chronic disease, to target infection or to relieve pain. However for most it remains a mystery as to what happens once the drug has been taken into the body: how do the drugs actually work? Furthermore, by what processes are new drugs discovered and brought to market?
An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, International Edition, provides an accessible and comprehensive account of this fascinating multidisciplinary field. Assuming little prior knowledge, the text is ideal for those studying the subject for the first time. Part A of the book introduces the principles of drug action via targets such as receptors and enzymes. The book goes on to explore how drugs work at the molecular level (pharmacodynamics), and the processes involved in ensuring a drug meets its target (pharmacokinetics). Further sections cover the processes by which drugs are discovered and designed, and what has to happen before a drug can be made available to the public. The book concludes with a selection of current topics in medicinal chemistry, and a discussion of various key drug groups. The subject is brought to life throughout by engaging case studies highlighting particular drugs and the stories behind their discovery and development.

Table of Contents
1.Drugs and drug targets: an overview
Part A - Drug Targets, Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics
2.Protein structure and function
3.Enzymes and enzyme inhibitors
4.Receptors, agonists and antagonists
5.Receptors and signal transduction
6.Nucleic acids as drug targets
7.Miscellaneous drug targets
8.Pharmacokinetics and related topics
Part B - Drug Discovery, Design, and Development
9.Drug discovery: finding a lead
10.Drug design: optimizing target interactions
11.Drug design: optimizing access to the target
12.Getting the drug to market
Part C - Selected Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
13.Cholinergics, anticholinergics, and anticholinesterases
14.Drugs acting on the adrenergic nervous system
15.Opioid analgesics
16.Antiulcer agents
17.Antibacterial agents
18.Antiviral agents
19.Anticancer agents
Part D - Tools of the Trade
20.Combinatorial synthesis
21.Computers in medicinal chemistry
22.Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR)