Optimization in Drug Discovery

Although parallel synthesis combined with high-throughput screening has made it easier to generate highly potent drug candidates, many of these compounds never make the grade because they either prove to be unsafe or lack the necessary physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. In Optimization in Drug Discovery: In Vitro Methods, a panel of researchers and experts from leading universities and major pharmaceutical companies from all over the world provide proven solutions to this expensive problem with a collection of cutting-edge experimental protocols for early in vitro evaluation of new chemical entities (NCE). These readily reproducible assays measure such critical parameters as physicochemical properties, adsorption, plasma binding, metabolism, drug interactions, and toxicity. All protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology? series format, each one offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and highly practical, Optimization in Drug Discovery: In Vitro Methods systematically collects and describes the key methods for uncovering-as early in the discovery stage as possible-those defects that can eliminate candidate drugs from preclinical and clinical development.