Drug Discovery for the Treatment of Addiction: Medicinal Chemistry Strategies

Reveals the prominent role of medicinal chemistry in treating addiction

With addiction a key target for drug discovery efforts, this book fills an important and timely need for medicinal chemists who need to understand complex neuroscience issues. The author illustrates medicinal chemistry's prominent role in treating addiction and covers specific drugs of abuse including narcotics, stimulants, depressants, nicotine, and marijuana. Divided into two broad sections, the book first deals with general aspects of addiction, neuropharmacology, behavioural pharmacology, and drug development; and then delves more deeply into medication development. The book:

• Interprets complex neuro- biological and pharmacological information, like the drug-reward system, for medicinal chemists
• Emphasizes neurotransmitters and neurochemical mechanisms of addictive drugs
• Pulls together information on the many potential drug targets for treating addiction
• Stresses unique medicinal chemistry problems when describing pharmacology testing methods and drug development

A fascinating field of research with very real therapeutic outcomes, addiction deserves the attention of medicinal chemists. The author reduces this complex subject to where it is understandable to non-specialists and helps foster the kind of close working relationship between chemists and behavioural pharmacologists that is critical to effective drug development.