Drug metabolism is a core area of pharmacology. Before any drug can be licensed it is essential to know how the body metabolises the drug, and the short and long-term effects it has on the body. It is an area of rapid advancement, which brings together the fields of pharmacy, pharmacology and medicine.
This new text provides a concise, user-friendly introduction to drug metabolism that is ideal for undergraduates. Focusing on a conceptual understanding of the drug metabolism system, the book illustrates the basic mechanisms on how xenobiotics are detected, chemically modified and then eliminated from human systems.
Human Drug Metabolism: An Introduction provides an accessible introduction to human drug metabolism for those who already have some understanding of the life sciences. It focuses only on essential chemical detail and includes patient case histories to illustrate the clinical consequences of changes in drug metabolism and its impact on patient welfare.
After underlining the relationship between efficacy, toxicity and drug concentration, the book then considers how metabolising systems operate and how they impact upon drug concentration, both under drug pressure and during inhibition. Factors affecting drug metabolism, such as genetic polymorphisms, age and diet are discussed and how metabolism can lead to toxicity is explained. The book concludes with the role of drug metabolism in the commercial development of therapeutic agents as well as the pharmacology of some illicit drugs.
- focuses on a conceptual understanding of drug metabolism
- takes a user-friendly approach to the chemical aspect of drug metabolism
- includes a wealth of diagrams and illustrations
- provides strategies for maximising examination performance
Human Drug Metabolism: An Introduction will be an invaluable resource for students studying pharmacology, pharmacy, bio-molecular sciences, biochemistry, molecular biology, toxicology, dentistry and medicine in addition to healthcare professionals and postgraduates.
