The essentials of drug metabolism vital to developing new therapeutic entities

Information on the metabolism and disposition of candidate drugs is a critical part of all aspects of the drug discovery and development process. Drug metabolism, as practiced in the pharmaceutical industry today, is a complex, multidisciplinary field that requires knowledge of sophisticated analytical technologies and expertise in mechanistic and kinetic enzymology, organic reaction mechanism, pharmacokinetic analysis, animal physiology, basic chemical toxicology, preclinical pharmacology, and molecular biology. With chapters contributed by experts in their specific areas, this reference covers:
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Basic concepts of drug metabolism
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The role of drug metabolism in the pharmaceutical industry
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Analytical techniques in drug metabolism
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Common experimental approaches and protocols

Drug Metabolism in Drug Design and Development emphasizes practical considerations such as the data needed, the experiments and analytical methods typically employed, and the interpretation and application of data. Chapters highlight facts, common protocols, detailed experimental designs, applications, and limitations of techniques.

This is a comprehensive, hands-on reference for drug metabolism researchers as well as other professionals involved in pre-clinical drug discovery and development.

Donglu Zhang, PhD, is a senior scientist in the Biotransformation Depart-ment at Bristol-Myers Squibb. His research interests include metabolite characterization, drug metabolism enzymology, LC/MS methodologies, and microbial biotransformation.

MINGSHE ZHU, PhD, is a drug metabolism scientist with more than ten years of experience in drug discovery and development. His research interests include metabolic activation, LC/MS technology, and regulatory drug metabolism.

W. Griffith Humphreys, PhD, is the Director of the Biotransformation Department at Bristol-Myers Squibb. His research interests include optimizationof ADME properties, metabolic activation, and new methodologies for metabolite characterization.