Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe dearth of promising new treatments for many a serious disease remains a major challenge not just for the pharmaceutical industry but for all of society. In this exhaustively researched book, Brent R. Stockwell surveys the history of drug development and offers insightful suggestions for innovative new approaches. This is critical reading for the many involved in and concerned about this urgent issue. -- Robert Bazell, chief science correspondent, NBC News, and author of Her-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer This is a terrific book! Stockwell's writing is clear and engaging as he presents a thoughtful analysis of drug development that can be understood and appreciated by a diverse readership. Stockwell beautifully combines scientific history and personal anecdotes with clear explanations of the principles and practices of chemical biology to make a fascinating story of the past, present, and future of drug discovery. His book is informative, accurate, and a good read all put together. -- Geoffrey Cooper, Boston University, author of The Cell: A Molecular Approach and Oncogenes This is a truly wonderful book. Stockwell's writing will open the door to a universe that many readers may know little about. Drugs are born, biotech companies are created, scientists' careers are made and unmade, egos are raised and dashed. This book is so readable, it is an absolute page-turner. Yet it is also authoritative and scientifically sophisticated, managing to distill a complex, changing field into a beautifully written, well-crafted story. -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, Columbia University, author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer By providing accessible explanations for the underlying biological and chemical principles that apply to the complex solutions he describes, Stockwell enables even the scientifically unsophisticated reader to gain a wider perspective on what future disease treatment might entail. Publishers Weekly This very readable, even exciting work takes us through the medical breakthroughs of the past century. Globe and Mail This book deserves a readership, and there is certainly a need for it. As a drug companyresearcher, I have often wished that more people understood what the field was likeand how simultaneously fascinating and frustrating it can be. -- Derek B. Lowe Cell In this well-researched look into the complexities of making medicines, a chemical biologist gives a history of drug making and details innovative methods of drug discovery. Science News Despite our current political paralysis, government leaders should listen to Stockwell and be certain to advance our capacity to generate the drugs that our society and the world need. Harvard Magazine The book is well organized and includes many interesting, clever analogies to explain what can be complicated scientific problems. Choice An engaging and rewarding read... -- Donald C. Lo Journal of Clinical Investigation The reader is not only left with a satisfying overview of the proud history and future challenges of finding new medicines but also encouragement that Stockwell and his contemporaries are creatively committed to academic drug discovery. -- David Kroll Nature Chemistry Stockwell writes well-his prose is accessible to the educated reader, irrespective of his or her background. All of the personalities, errors and successes in contemporary drug discovery are presented. Stockwell enlivens their stories with anecdotes... -- Garrett A. FitzGerald Nature Medicine It is impossible to read this relatively short book...without being captured by the author's optimism about the future of drug development. -- Robert C. Young, M.D. Oncology Times
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations Part I. The Vanishing Cures 1. The Drug Discovery Crisis 2. A New Science of Molecules 3. The Birth of the First Cancer Drugs 4. A New Company Creating Drug Combinations 5. The Undruggable RAS Protein 6. The Druggable Genome Part II. The Path to the Next Generation of Medicines 7. Peering Inside Proteins 8. The Nature of Interactions Between Proteins 9. From Protein-Protein Interactions to Personalized Medicines 10. A Revolution in Peptide Synthesis 11. A Vast Array of Drug Candidates 12. Moving Outside the Small Molecule Box 13. Accelerating the Arrival of Next-Generation Drugs Notes Glossary Index
