Updated every five years, the series represents the optimal compromise between currency and a sufficient body of material for cohesive and comprehensive treatment in a monograph. Provides a quick yet thorough overview of the synthetic routines that have been used to access specific classes of therapeutic agents. Materials are organized by chemical class, and syntheses are taken back to available starting materials. Discusses disease state, rational for method of drug therapy, biological activities of each compound and preparation. Coverage also includes those generic pharmaceutical compounds not accorded clinical status. A glossary defines biological terms.

Daniel Lednicer, PhD, is the author of several books on drug synthesis and discovery. His career in both the private and public sectors has been devoted to the search for new therapeutic agents. Dr. Lednicer spent two decades at the bench as a chemist at the Upjohn Company. Following that, he served as director of chemical research at Mead Johnson, director of pharmaceutical sciences at Adria Laboratories, and pharmaceutical manager at Analytical Biochemistry Laboratories. Most recently, he was a project officer at the National Cancer Institute.