Assuming little previous knowledge of biology, this book aids graduate chemists to close the gap in their knowledge of pharmacology and make the link between medicinal chemistry and the way in which drugs act on the body. The availability of receptor structures has revolutionized drug discovery and development necessitating an up-to-date source of information for chemists entering this new pharmacological world.

Chapters, written by experts with an appreciation of most graduate chemists’ knowledge, explain the history of pharmacology, the relationship between receptor structure and function and receptor pharmacology relevant to drug design. Importantly, as drugs are normally discovered in test rather than therapeutic systems, this text describes how pharmacology provides methods to characterize drug activity through scales that allow prediction of drug effect in all systems. Moreover, it outlines the relationship between drug distribution in the body and the action of drugs in particular organ systems relevant to disease. Readers will also find information on pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism, safety pharmacology and toxicology, clinical and regulatory pharmacology and the use of imaging techniques.

Carefully edited for relevance to the modern chemist, this unique textbook will be an essential resource for chemists planning to work in drug discovery, or postgraduate students and practicing chemists interested in expanding their pharmacology knowledge