Methods & Principles in Medicinal Chemistry – serie

This readily comprehensible book explains the identification of molecular targets via cellular assays, reporter genes or transgenic models, as well as surveying recent advances in the synthesis, separation and analysis of drugs. A special section is devoted to molecular genetics methods.With its examination of these novel methods and generous practical advice, this is essential reading for all pharmaceutical chemists, molecular biologists and medical researchers using molecular methods to study drugs and their action.

This first overview of mass spectrometry-based pharmaceutical analysis is the key to improved high-throughput drug screening, rational drug design and analysis of multiple ligand-target interactions. The ready reference opens with a general introduction to the use of mass spectrometry in pharmaceutical screening, followed by a detailed description of recently developed analytical systems for use in the pharmaceutical laboratory.Applications range from simple binding assays to complex screens of biological activity and systems containing multiple targets or ligands -- all highly relevant techniques in the early stages in drug discovery, from target characterization to hit and lead finding.

This topical reference and handbook addresses the chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and the patentability of prodrugs, perfectly mirroring the integrated approach prevalent in today's drug design. It summarizes current experiences and strategies for the rational design of prodrugs, beginning at the early stages of the development process, as well as discussing organ- and site-selective prodrugs. Every company employing medicinal chemists will be interested in this practice-oriented overview of a key strategy in modern drug discovery and development.

In this new edition of a bestseller, all the contents have been brought upto-date by addressing current standards and best practices in the assessment and prediction of ADMET properties. Although the previous chapter layout has been retained, substantial revisions have been made, with new topics such as pro-drugs, active metabolites and transporters covered in detail in a manner useful to the Drug Discovery scientist. The authors discuss the parameters and processes important for the absorption, distribution and retention of drug compounds in the body, plus the potential problems created by their transformation into toxic byproducts. While aimed at all those dealing professionally with the development and application of pharmaceutical substances, the readily comprehensible style makes this book equally suitable for students of pharmacy and related subjects. Uniquely comprehensive, the book relates physicochemistry and chemical structure to pharmacokinetic properties and ultimately drug efficacy and safety.

Treating protein-protein interactions as a novel and highly promising class of drug targets, this volume introduces the underlying strategies step by step, from the biology of PPIs to biophysical and computational methods for their investigation. The main part of the book describes examples of protein targets for which small molecule modulators have been developed, covering such diverse fields as cancer, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases. Tailor-made for the practicing medicinal chemist, this ready reference includes a wide selection of case studies taken straight from the development pipeline of major pharmaceutical companies to illustrate the power and potential of this approach. From the contents: * Prediction of intra- and inter-species protein-protein interactions facilitating systems biology studies* Modulators of protein-protein interactions: The importance of Three-Dimensionality* Interactive technologies for leveraging the known chemistry of anchor residues * SH3 Domains as Drug Targets* P53 MDM2 Antagonists: Towards Non Genotoxic Anticancer Treatments* Inhibition of LFA-1/ICAM interaction for treatment of autoimmune diseases* The PIF-binding pocket of AGC kinases* Peptidic inhibitors of protein-protein interactions for cell adhesion receptors* The REPLACE Strategy for generating Non-ATP competitive Inhibitors of Cell-Cycle Protein Kinases and more

Written by the pioneers of Viagra, the first blockbuster PDE inhibitor drug.Beginning with a review of the first wave of phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, this book focuses on new and emerging PDE targets and their inhibitors. Drug development options for all major human PDE families are discussed and cover diverse therapeutic fields, such as neurological/psychiatric, cardiovascular/metabolic, pain, and allergy/respiratory diseases. Finally, emerging chemotherapeutic applications of PDE inhibitors against malaria and other tropical diseases are discussed.

In this comprehensive two-volume resource on the topic senior lead generation medicinal chemists present a coherent view of the current methods and strategies in industrial and academic lead generation. This is the first book to combine both standard and innovative approaches in comparable breadth and depth, including several recent successful lead generation case studies published here for the first time. Beginning with a general discussion of the underlying principles and strategies, individual lead generation approaches are described in detail, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, along with all relevant bordering disciplines like e.g. target identification and validation, predictive methods, molecular recognition or lead quality matrices. Novel lead generation approaches for challenging targets like DNA-encoded library screening or chemical biology approaches are treated here side by side with established methods as high throughput and affinity screening, knowledge- or fragment-based lead generation, and collaborative approaches. Within the entire book, a very strong focus is given to highlight the application of the presented methods, so that the reader will be able to learn from real life examples. The final part of the book presents several lead generation case studies taken from different therapeutic fields, including diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, neuroscience, infection and tropical diseases.The result is a prime knowledge resource for medicinal chemists and for every scientist involved in lead generation.

With its focus on emerging concerns of kinase and GPCR-mediated antitarget effects, this vital reference for drug developers addresses one of the hot topics in drug safety now and in future.Divided into three major parts, the first section deals with novel technologies and includes the utility of adverse event reports to drug discovery, the translational aspects of preclinical safety findings, broader computational prediction of drug side-effects, and a description of the serotonergic system. The main part of the book looks at some of the most common antitarget-mediated side effects, focusing on hepatotoxicity in drug safety, cardiovascular toxicity and signaling effects via kinase and GPCR anti-targets. In the final section, several case studies of recently developed drugs illustrate how to prevent anti-target effects and how big pharma deals with them if they occur. The more recent field of systems pharmacology has gained prominence and this is reflected in chapters dedicated to the utility in deciphering and modeling anti-targets. The final chapter is concerned with those compounds that inadvertently elicit CNS mediated adverse events, including a pragmatic description of ways to mitigate these types of safety risks.Written as a companion to the successful book on antitargets by Vaz and Klabunde, this new volume focuses on recent progress and new classes, methods and case studies that were not previously covered.

The book "Drug Selectivity - An Evolving Concept in Medicinal Chemistry" provides a current overview and comprehensive compilation for medicinal chemists that discusses the effects of aiming for multiple targets on the entire drug development process.The result is a broad survey of current and future strategies for drug selectivity in medicinal chemistry with theoretical but also practical aspects. Different strategies are presented and evaluated, such as various design approaches, merged multiple ligands, discovery technologies and a broad range of successful examples of unselective drugs taken from all major disease areas. With its wide-ranging view of an emerging new paradigm in drug development, this handbook is of prime importance for every medicinal and pharmaceutical chemist.

From its origins as a niche technique more than 15 years ago, fragment-based approaches have become a major tool for drug and ligand discovery, often yielding results where other methods have failed. Written by the pioneers in the field, this book provides a comprehensive overview of current methods and applications of fragment-based discovery, as well as an outlook on where the field is headed.The first part discusses basic considerations of when to use fragment-based methods, how to select targets, and how to build libraries in the chemical fragment space. The second part describes established, novel and emerging methods for fragment screening, including empirical as well as computational approaches. Special cases of fragment-based screening, e. g. for complex target systems and for covalent inhibitors are also discussed. The third part presents several case studies from recent and on-going drug discovery projects for a variety of target classes, from kinases and phosphatases to targeting protein-protein interaction and epigenetic targets.

A drug discovery reference to the crippling tropical diseases that affect more than 1 billion people. Neglected Tropical Diseases is the first book of its kind to offer a guide that follows the World Health Organization?s list of neglected tropical diseases. The authors?all are experts on the topic?address the development of effective treatments for 12 crippling infectious diseases that affect almost 20% of the world?s popluation. The book includes information on the common approaches and the most important factors that lead to the development of new drugs for treating tropical diseases. Individual chapters review 12 neglected tropical diseases that are grouped by infectious agent, from viruses to bacteria to eukaryotic parasites. For each of these diseases, the book explains the unmet medical need and explores the current and potential drug discovery strategies. The book also includes information on potential drug compounds derived from natural products. This important book: -Ties together information from different sources for developing novel treatsments forneglected tropical diseases -Is aligned with WHO?s initiative to eradicate tropical diseases -Outlines current and potential drugs for treating tropical diseases -Provides a standard reference for the entire field Written for medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical chemists, pharmaceutical industry, virologists, parasitologists, and specialists on tropics medicine, Neglected Tropical Diseases offers an essential guide and a systematic reference for the development of successful treatments for 12 crippling infectious diseases.

This broad view of epigenetic approaches in drug discovery combines methods and strategies with individual targets, including new and largely unexplored ones such as sirtuins and methyl-lysine reader proteins.Presented in three parts - Introduction to Epigenetics, General Aspects and Methodologies, and Epigenetic Target Classes - it covers everything any drug researcher would need in order to know about targeting epigenetic mechanisms of disease.Epigenetic Drug Discovery is an important resource for medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical researchers, biochemists, molecular biologists, and molecular geneticists.

Discusses how to fight Ebola, SARS Corona, and other known or emerging human viruses by building on the successes in antiviral therapy of the past decadesWritten by leading medicinal chemists from academia and industry, this book discusses the entire field of antiviral drug discovery and development from a medicinal chemistry perspective, focusing on antiviral drugs, targets, and viral disease mechanisms. It provides an outlook on emerging pathogens such as Ebola, Zika, West Nile, Lassa, and includes a chapter on SARS Coronoavirus-2 causing the present pandemic.New Drug Development for Known and Emerging Viruses describes the discovery and development process for antiviral agents for different classes of viruses and targets based on the experiences from the nine human viruses for which approved drugs are on the market (HIV, HCV, Influenza, RSV, HBV, HPV, HCMV, HSV, and VZV). It covers the properties and potential of 20 classes of currently approved antivirals, including combination drugs, and looks at novel antiviral strategies against emerging viruses. Covers the entire field of antiviral drug discovery and developmentAddresses the need for antiviral drugs to combat major health threats such as Ebola, Zika, West Nile, and SARS Coronavirus-2Summarizes the successes of the past 15 years in developing ground-breaking medicines against 9 major human viruses, both from the medicinal chemistry and the pharmacological angleDiscusses practical and strategic challenges in the drug discovery and development process, including screening technologies, latency, and toxicity issuesNew Developments in Antiviral Drugs is an important book for medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical chemists, virologists, and epidemiologists, and will be of great interest to those in the ;pharmaceutical industry and public health agencies.

The modern drug developers? guide for making informed choices among the diverse target identification methods Target Discovery and Validation: Methods and Strategies for Drug Discovery offers a hands-on review of the modern technologies for drug target identification and validation. With contributions from noted industry and academic experts, the book addresses the most recent chemical, biological, and computational methods. Additionally, the book highlights techologies that are applicable to ?difficult? targets and drugs directed at multiple targets, including chemoproteomics, activity-based protein profiling, pathway mapping, genome-wide association studies, and array-based profiling. Throughout, the authors highlight a range of diverse approaches, and target validation studies reveal how these methods can support academic and drug discovery scientists in their target discovery and validation research. This resource: -Offers a guide to identifying and validating targets, a key enabling technology without which no new drug development is possible -Presents the information needed for choosing the appropriate assay method from the ever-growing range of available options -Provides practical examples from recent drug development projects, e. g. in kinase inhibitor profiling Written for medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical professionals, biochemists, biotechnology professionals, and pharmaceutical chemists, Target Discovery and Validation explores the current methods for the identification and validation of drug targets in one comrpehensive volume. It also includes numerous practical examples.

Solid State Development and Processing of Pharmaceutical Molecules A guide to the lastest industry principles for optimizing the production of solid state active pharmaceutical ingredients Solid State Development and Processing of Pharmaceutical Molecules is an authoritative guide that covers the entire pharmaceutical value chain. The authors—noted experts on the topic—examine the importance of the solid state form of chemical and biological drugs and review the development, production, quality control, formulation, and stability of medicines. The book explores the most recent trends in the digitization and automation of the pharmaceutical production processes that reflect the need for consistent high quality. It also includes information on relevant regulatory and intellectual property considerations. This resource is aimed at professionals in the pharmaceutical industry and offers an in-depth examination of the commercially relevant issues facing developers, producers and distributors of drug substances. This important book: Provides a guide for the effective development of solid drug forms Compares different characterization methods for solid state APIs Offers a resource for understanding efficient production methods for solid state forms of chemical and biological drugsIncludes information on automation, process control, and machine learning as an integral part of the development and production workflowsCovers in detail the regulatory and quality control aspects of drug developmentWritten for medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical industry professionals, pharma engineers, solid state chemists, chemical engineers, Solid State Development and Processing of Pharmaceutical Molecules reviews information on the solid state of active pharmaceutical ingredients for their efficient development and production.

Learn to master a powerful technology to enable a faster drug discovery workflow The ultimate dream for medicinal chemists is the ability to synthesize new drug-like compounds with the push of a button. The key to synthesizing chemical compounds more quickly and accurately lies in computer-controlled technologies that can be optimized by machine learning. Recent developments in computer-controlled automated syntheses that rely on miniature flow reactors—with integrated analysis of the resulting products—provide a workable technology for synthesizing new chemical substances very quickly and with minimal effort. In Flow and Microreactor Technology in Medicinal Chemistry, early adopters of this ground-breaking technology describe its current and potential uses in medicinal chemistry. Based on successful examples of the use of flow and microreactor synthesis for drug-like compounds, the book introduces current as well as emerging uses for automated synthesis in a drug discovery context. Flow and Microreactor Technology in Medicinal Chemistry readers will also find: Numerous case studies that address the most common applications of this technology in the day-to-day work of medicinal chemistsHow to integrate flow synthesis with drug discoveryHow to perform enantioselective reactions under continuous flow conditions Flow and Microreactor Technology in Medicinal Chemistry is a valuable practical reference for medicinal chemists, organic chemists, and natural products chemists, whether they are working in academia or in the pharmaceutical industry.

Targeted Drug Delivery Novel approaches in targeted drug delivery for both small molecule and biopharmaceutical drugs Targeted Drug Delivery explores a new frontier in drug research that has become a focus for developing novel medications. The work discusses a wide range of approaches for targeting small molecules as well as peptide and macromolecular drugs, from prodrugs to drug conjugates to drug carriers and devices, helping readers to stay up to date on the latest developments in the field. The following key topics are addressed: Antibody conjugates, prodrugs, and suicide gene therapeuticsProtac technology for selectively degrading target proteinsDelivery of nucleic acid drugsNovel drug carriers, such as liposomes, vesicles, and nanoparticlesUnmet medical needs for which there is a large market potential, such as viral infections and cancerFor chemists, pharmacologists, and professionals in the wider pharmaceutical industry, Targeted Drug Delivery is a comprehensive guide on how to solve the greatest challenge in treating many diseases: delivering a pharmaceutically active substance to the target tissue in the body.

Open Access Databases and Datasets for Drug Discovery Timely resource discussing the future of data-driven drug discovery and the growing number of open-source databases With an overview of 90 freely accessible databases and datasets on all aspects of drug design, development, and discovery, Open Access Databases and Datasets for Drug Discovery is a comprehensive guide to the vast amount of “free data” available to today’s pharmaceutical researchers. The applicability of open-source data for drug discovery and development is analyzed, and their usefulness in comparison with commercially available tools is evaluated. The most relevant databases for small molecules, drugs and druglike substances, ligand design, protein 3D structures (both experimental and calculated), and human drug targets are described in depth, including practical examples of how to access and work with the data. The first part is focused on databases for small molecules, followed by databases for macromolecular targets and diseases. The final part shows how to integrate various open-source tools into the academic and industrial drug discovery and development process. Contributed to and edited by experts with long-time experience in the field, Open Access Databases and Datasets for Drug Discovery includes information on: An extensive listing of open access databases and datasets for computer-aided drug designPubChem as a chemical database for drug discovery, DrugBank Online, and bioisosteric replacement for drug discovery supported by the SwissBioisostere databaseThe Protein Data Bank (PDB) and macromolecular structure data supporting computer-aided drug design, and the SWISS-MODEL repository of 3D protein structures and modelsPDB-REDO in computational aided drug design (CADD), and using Pharos/TCRD for discovering druggable targetsUnmatched in scope and thoroughly reviewing small and large open data sources relevant for rational drug design, Open Access Databases and Datasets for Drug Discovery is an essential reference for medicinal and pharmaceutical chemists, and any scientists involved in the drug discovery and drug development.

Discover a new paradigm in drug discovery that greatly expands the space of addressable drug targets and potential novel drugsExisting paradigms for drug discovery have focused largely on enzymes and other proteins as drug targets. In recent years, however, different varieties of ribonucleic acids have emerged as a viable focus for target-based drug discovery, with the potential to revolutionize the strategy and approach for this essential step in the drug development process.RNA as a Drug Target: The Next Frontier for Medicinal Chemistry offers a practice-oriented introduction to developing drug-like small molecules that selectively modulate both coding and non-coding RNAs. Beginning with a description and characterization of existing druggable RNAs, the book discusses how to approach different RNA targets for drug discovery. The result is a crucial resource for targeting RNAs and creating the next generation of life-saving pharmaceuticals.RNA as a Drug Target readers will also find: A complete “toolbox” for working with RNA, from structure determination to screening and lead generation techniquesA wide range of addressable targets and mechanisms, including splicing modulation, riboswitches, targeted degradation, and moreAuthoritative discussion of the potential of RNA-targeted small molecule therapeutics for drugging the epitranscriptomeRNA as a Drug Target provides an expert introduction to a new frontier in pharmaceutical research for medicinal chemists, biochemists, molecular biologists, and members of the pharmaceutical industry.

Ten proven strategies to overcome solubility challenges in drug development Poor water solubility prevents drug candidates from reaching their therapeutic targets, causing promising compounds to fail during development. Drug Development Approaches for Poorly Soluble Compounds presents ten distinct strategies for overcoming this challenge, from altering drug structure and creating prodrugs to formulation techniques using nanosuspensions, microemulsions, micelles, co-crystals, and co-solvents. Each approach includes case studies from current pharmaceutical industry projects. This reference covers strategies applicable to virtually every drug type, regardless of molecular size or chemical composition. Beyond formulation science, the book addresses solubility-related commercial and regulatory considerations essential for bringing drugs to market. Special attention is given to animal study requirements for poorly soluble compounds. Each chapter demonstrates approaches through examples from recent pharmaceutical development projects across small and large companies. Readers will also find: Detailed explanations of ten formulation strategies including nanosuspensions, microemulsions, micelles, co-crystals, and co-solvent approaches for enhancing drug solubilityPractical case studies drawn from recent pharmaceutical industry drug development projects demonstrating real-world applications of each solubility enhancement strategyGuidance on regulatory considerations specific to poorly soluble compounds, helping developers navigate approval pathways more efficiently throughout the development processCoverage of special requirements for conducting animal studies with compounds that exhibit poor solubility in biological fluidsCommercial considerations for solubility enhancement strategies that reduce required drug substance amounts, lowering costs and minimizing potential side effectsDesigned for medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical chemists, pharmacologists, and pharmaceutical industry professionals, this book ensures no drug candidate fails due to solubility challenges. The strategies presented here apply across compound types and development stages, providing practitioners with proven solutions for this common development obstacle.

The new edition of this practice-oriented handbook features thoroughly updated contents, including recent developments in parallel synthesis.A new chapter on screening complements the overview of combinatorial strategy and synthetic methods. "Experimental details and complete reaction data [...] are a constant theme running through this work"(Angewandte Chemie) "Recommended to newcomers in the field of combinatorial chemical synthesis because of its broad scope"(Journal of the American Chemical Society)

Divided into the three main sections of synthesis, analysis and drug development, this handbook covers all stages of the drug development process, including large-scale synthesis and purification of chirally pure pharmaceuticals. The two editors from academia and a major pharmaceutical company have assembled an experienced, international team who provide first-hand practical advice and report previously unpublished data.In the first section, the isolation of chiral drugs from natural sources, their production in enzymatic processes and the resolution of racemic mixtures in preparative chromatography are outlined in separate chapters. For the section on qualitative and quantitative analysis, enantioselective chromatographic methods are presented as well as optical methods and CE-MS, while the final section deals with the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and metabolic aspects of chiral drugs, devoting whole chapters to stereoselective drug binding and modeling chiral drug-receptor interactions. With its unique industry-relevant aspects, this is a must for medicinal and pharmaceutical chemists.

Molecular Descriptors for Chemoinformatics As every chemist knows, there is a direct (if complex) relationship between the molecular structure of a compound and its chemical behavior. Predicting such behavior is possible by an abstract representation of its structure in terms of chemical similarity parameters, socalled ‘descriptors’. These are most useful in predicting the pharmacological properties of drug candidates, but are also used in predicting reactivity, toxicity and other important chemical characteristics. The number-one reference on the topic now contains a wealth of new data: The entire relevant literature over the past eight years has been pain-stakingly surveyed, resulting in hundreds of new descriptors being added to the list, and some 3,000 new references in the bibliography section. Volume 1 contains an alphabetical listing of around 3300 terms for the chemoinformatic analysis of chemical compound properties, while the second volume contains 6343 references selected from 450 journals with about 7000 authors quoted covering the period from the beginning of molecular descriptor research until the year 2008. In this second edition, several sections have been completely rewritten and organized in a more effective way. The greatly expanded introductory section now contains several “walk-through” reading lists of selected keywords to make the data even more accessible for novice users.

Drug Bioavailability In order to reach its intended site of action, the drug molecules in every pill that we swallow must first be absorbed, transported via the bloodstream and evade various mechanisms that eliminate drugs from the body. Those drug properties that determine, for example, its stability in the gut or its ease of uptake into the bloodstream, are therefore of central importance in drug development. In fact, many potentially useful drugs fail because of insufficient availability at the biological target site. This second edition of the gold standard for industrial research is thoroughly revised in line with current trends in the field, with all contributions extensively updated or rewritten. No other publication offers the same level of treatment on this crucial topic. In 22 chapters readers can benefit from the key working knowledge of today’s leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Roche. Drug developers from industry and academia present all the factors governing drug bioavailability, complete with practical examples and real-life data. Part I focuses on solubility and gastrointestinal absorption, while the second discusses in vitro and in vivo measurements of physicochemical properties, such as membrane permeability and solubility. Part III is devoted to metabolism and excretory mechanisms. The much revised and expanded Part IV surveys current in silico approaches to predict drug properties needed to estimate the bioavailability of any new drug candidate. The final part shows new drug development approaches as well as delivery strategies. Indispensable for all those working in the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and medicinal chemists, and toxicologists.

The only reference on current methods to generate pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of drug candidates, as well as how they must be balanced against one other for the best selection of candidates for further development.Following a brief introduction to the necessities of filtering and risk assessment of potential new drug molecules before actual drug development, the two equally important aspects of pharmacological (ADME) and safety (toxicity) profiling are covered in separate parts.The ADME section covers the profiling of basic physicochemical parameters, such as solubility and permeability, as well as more complex traits, such as the likelihood of drug-drug interactions, metabolic clearance and protein binding properties.The toxicology part addresses, among others, recent advances in early genetic toxicity testing, bioactivation screening, organ-specific toxicity assays for liver, heart, kidney and blood, as well as profiling for autoimmune reactions.By addressing both drug efficiency and drug safety, this modern practical reference shows readers how each individual aspect figures in shaping the key decisions on which the entire drug development process hinges. In short, this is a complete toolbox for assessing the risk/benefit ratio for any novel compound during the early drug development stages, using both in vitro and in silico methods.Both editors are based at one of the leading research-driven pharmaceutical companies, and the authors have been recruited from numerous other global players in the field.Invaluable know-how for every medicinal chemist and drug developer.

Drug discovery is all about finding small molecules that interact in a desired way with larger molecules, namely proteins and other macromolecules in the human body. If the three-dimensional structures of both the small and large molecule are known, their interaction can be tested by computer simulation with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Alternatively, if active ligands are already available, molecular similarity searches can be used to find new molecules. This virtual screening can even be applied to compounds that have yet to be synthesized, as opposed to "real" screening that requires cost- and labor-intensive laboratory testing with previously synthesized drug compounds.Unique in its focus on the end user, this is a real "how to" book that does not presuppose prior experience in virtual screening or a backgroundin computational chemistry. It is both a desktop reference and practical guide to virtual screening applications in drug discovery, offering a comprehensive and up-to-date overview. Clearly divided into four major sections, the first provides a detailed description of the methods required for and applied in virtual screening, while the second discusses the most important challenges in order to improve the impact and success of this technique. The third and fourth, practical parts contain practical guidelines and several case studies covering the mostimportant scenarios for new drug discovery, accompanied by general guidelines for the entire workflow of virtual screening studies.Throughout the text, medicinal chemists from academia, as well as from large and small pharmaceutical companies report on their experience and pass on priceless practical advice on how to make best use of these powerful methods.

Innovative and forward-looking, this volume focuses on recent achievements in this rapidly progressing field and looks at future potential fordevelopment. The first part provides a basic understanding of the factors governing protein-ligand interactions, followed by a comparison of key experimental methods (calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, NMR) used in generating interaction data. The second half of the book is devoted to insilico methods of modeling and predicting molecular recognition and binding, ranging from first principles-based to approximate ones. Here,as elsewhere in the book, emphasis is placed on novel approaches and recent improvements to established methods. The final part looks atunresolved challenges, and the strategies to address them.With the content relevant for all drug classes and therapeutic fields, this is an inspiring and often-consulted guide to the complexity ofprotein-ligand interaction modeling and analysis for both novices and experts.

Written with the practicing medicinal chemist in mind, this is the first modern handbook to systematically address the topic of bioisosterism.As such, it provides a ready reference on the principles and methods of bioisosteric replacement as a key tool in preclinical drug development. The first part provides an overview of bioisosterism, classical bioisosteres and typical molecular interactions that need to be considered,while the second part describes a number of molecular databases as sources of bioisosteric identification and rationalization. The third partcovers the four key methodologies for bioisostere identification and replacement: physicochemical properties, topology, shape, and overlays ofprotein-ligand crystal structures. In the final part, several real-world examples of bioisosterism in drug discovery projects are discussed. With its detailed descriptions of databases, methods and real-life case studies, this is tailor-made for busy industrial researchers with little time for reading, while remaining easily accessible to novice drug developers due to its systematic structure and introductory section.

The inspiration provided by biologically active natural products to conceive of hybrids, congeners, analogs and unnatural variants is discussed by experts in the field in 16 highly informative chapters. Using well-documented studies over the past decade, this timely monograph demonstrates the current importance and future potential of natural products as starting points for the development of new drugs with improved properties over their progenitors. The examples are chosen so as to represent a wide range of natural products with therapeutic relevance among others, as anticancer agents, antimicrobials, antifungals, antisense nucleosides, antidiabetics, and analgesics. From the content:* Part I: Natural Products as Sources of Potential Drugs and Systematic Compound Collections* Part II: From Marketed Drugs to Designed Analogs and Clinical Candidates* Part III: Natural Products as an Incentive for Enabling Technologies* Part IV: Natural Products as Pharmacological Tools* Part V: Nature: The Provider, the Enticer, and the Healer