New drug candidates must undergo long and rigorous testing, and the vast majority of them fail to reach the marketplace due to lack of clinical efficacy and the presence of side effects. Both of these are in turn influenced by other factors such as poor adsorption, poor elimination and low solubility - the latter is the reason why almost 40 percent of drug candidates do not reach the higher phases of trials.
This book brings together a selection of basic concepts and current thinking on toxicity and drug testing. Subjects covered include in vitro and in vivo testing models, drug genotoxicity, biomarkers for toxicity, pharmacokinetic modeling, computational techniques, blood-brain barrier permeation, solubility measurement, and methods for measuring and predicting the surface tension of liquid formulations, knowledge of which can be used to improve their pharmacological properties.
In addition to drug testing/toxicity, the book also discusses other issues relating to toxicity including the effect of heavy metals on aquatic life and the toxic properties of aluminum phosphide, which is widely used as a grain fumigant.
We believe that this book will provide a stimulating source of ideas, and that it will function as a useful reference work for anyone involved toxicology or in the research and development of new drugs.
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