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Pharmacodynamics and drug development—Perspectives in clinical pharmacology
BOOKREVIEWS
673
lmtnmental Methods for Determining Dements: L. TAYLOR,R. B. PAPP and B. D. POLLARD, VCH, Weinheim, 1994. Pages ix + 322. DMI28.00 £51.50. ISBN 1-56081-038-6. Analysts are often faced with the need to qualitatively and/or quantitatively determine elements--single or multi, stand-alone or as the detection component of a bigger system. If you have already chosen a technique and are happy with it, then this book may not be for you. It does not give in-depth treatment of any particular technique although you may find general and useful information and up-to-date references for in-depth treatment. If you do not know which technique to use or you are considering alternatives, then this book is extremely helpful. The book begins with two 'introductory' chapters giving brief examination of the factors which govern the choice of a technique. It then follows with seven chapters dedicated to atomic absorption, atomic emission, voltametry, potentiometry, chromatography, X-ray fluorescence and combustion techniques. It ends with a chapter on miscellaneous techniques which describes briefly capillary electrophoresis, flow-injection analysis, mass spectrometry, neutron activation analysis and UV/Vis spectrometry. In fact most of the available techniques for elemental analysis have been covered. Each of the dedicated chapters gives a minimal account of the necessary theory, a simple but adequate description of the instrumentation (with helpful illustrations), a succinct examination of choice factors such as sensitivity, detection limit, automation and operating costs, and also a substantial list of applications. What is particularly useful are the references to applications, lists of suppliers with addresses and the price range (given in American currency). This book is obviously written by pesons who are in the trade as the information given is usually comprehensive, practical and up-to-date. There are few mistakes, most of them editorial and appear in Chapter 6. As the title suggests, the techniques described will be limited to total determination of elements but some mention has been made on speciation. A slight misgiving is the very brief (half a page) treatment on ICPMS which is a powerful and increasingly popular technique for elemental analysis. This book is very readable and provides much useful and practical information. I think it deserves a place on the shelves of many analytical laboratories. S. C. TAM
Pharmacodynamics and Drug Development--Perspectives in Clinical Pharmacology: N. R. CUTLER,J. J. SRAMEKand P. K. NARANG (editors), Wiley, Chichester, 1994. Pages: xv + 491. £65.00. ISBN 0-471-950-521. This textbook may be of particular interest to researchers in the pharmaceutical industry and those in academia who have close links with industry. Users will require a sound knowledge of pharmacokinetics and at least some knowledge of pharmacodynamics. It does not, however, claim to be a basic textbook but rather one which addresses the increasing interest in the use of pharmacodynamic modelling in the design of clinical trials. The first seven chapters provide an overview of pharmacodynamics and the causes of variation in both pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Unfortunately there is a certain amount of duplication in the material covered by the authors of different chapters but this permits each chapter to be read in isolation. The second section of the book addresses the application of pharmacodynamic modelling to areas of the cardiovascular system, central nervous system and the use of antibiotics, antineoplastics and antiviral agents. This section provides ample demonstration of both the utility of pharmacodynamic models and the difficulty of selecting appropriate models and suitable measures of effect. The final three chapters of this textbook consider molecular approaches to clarifying the mechanisms of drug action. They provide an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the text with consideration of methods for classification and elucidation of ~t-adreno receptors, muscarinic receptors and serotonin receptors. This textbook is unlikely to appeal to a large readership but provides a valuable overview of recent work in pharmacodynamics. M. HAWTHORN
Polymeric Site-Specific Pharmacotherapy: A. J. DOMn (editor), Wiley, Chichester, 1994. Pages xi + 464. £75.00. ISBN 0-471-93824-6. This book comprises a review of a most relevant and expanding area of research into efficient drug delivery systems in which drugs may be delivered specifically to their sites of action thereby increasing therapeutic effectiveness and reducing harmful systemic effects. Bio-absorbable polymers, of which there is an ever-increasing array, may be used as ideal drug carrier systems to the target tissue for the treatment of several diseased states. Each chapter, dealing with a specific site of target tissue, has been written by specialist authors active in their respective areas of research. The presentations are extensively detailed and referenced and therefore the book would be aimed largely at postgraduate level rather than the undergraduate student. The initial chapters review extensively several biocompatable polymers in current use for implantation. These chapters concentrate on the types of polymers, their structure, degradation rates, blending possibilities, and some major concerns such as biocompatability and toxicity (especially tests for cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity). The kinetics of drug release from polymer implants are also thoroughly reviewed. A further chapter deals specifically with the concepts necessary to understand modelling of drug delivery to brain tissue from interstitial sources. There is a chapter with an in-depth account of tumour-specific drug targeting constituting a description of the work done over a period of time on polymer-conjugated
673
lmtnmental Methods for Determining Dements: L. TAYLOR,R. B. PAPP and B. D. POLLARD, VCH, Weinheim, 1994. Pages ix + 322. DMI28.00 £51.50. ISBN 1-56081-038-6. Analysts are often faced with the need to qualitatively and/or quantitatively determine elements--single or multi, stand-alone or as the detection component of a bigger system. If you have already chosen a technique and are happy with it, then this book may not be for you. It does not give in-depth treatment of any particular technique although you may find general and useful information and up-to-date references for in-depth treatment. If you do not know which technique to use or you are considering alternatives, then this book is extremely helpful. The book begins with two 'introductory' chapters giving brief examination of the factors which govern the choice of a technique. It then follows with seven chapters dedicated to atomic absorption, atomic emission, voltametry, potentiometry, chromatography, X-ray fluorescence and combustion techniques. It ends with a chapter on miscellaneous techniques which describes briefly capillary electrophoresis, flow-injection analysis, mass spectrometry, neutron activation analysis and UV/Vis spectrometry. In fact most of the available techniques for elemental analysis have been covered. Each of the dedicated chapters gives a minimal account of the necessary theory, a simple but adequate description of the instrumentation (with helpful illustrations), a succinct examination of choice factors such as sensitivity, detection limit, automation and operating costs, and also a substantial list of applications. What is particularly useful are the references to applications, lists of suppliers with addresses and the price range (given in American currency). This book is obviously written by pesons who are in the trade as the information given is usually comprehensive, practical and up-to-date. There are few mistakes, most of them editorial and appear in Chapter 6. As the title suggests, the techniques described will be limited to total determination of elements but some mention has been made on speciation. A slight misgiving is the very brief (half a page) treatment on ICPMS which is a powerful and increasingly popular technique for elemental analysis. This book is very readable and provides much useful and practical information. I think it deserves a place on the shelves of many analytical laboratories. S. C. TAM
Pharmacodynamics and Drug Development--Perspectives in Clinical Pharmacology: N. R. CUTLER,J. J. SRAMEKand P. K. NARANG (editors), Wiley, Chichester, 1994. Pages: xv + 491. £65.00. ISBN 0-471-950-521. This textbook may be of particular interest to researchers in the pharmaceutical industry and those in academia who have close links with industry. Users will require a sound knowledge of pharmacokinetics and at least some knowledge of pharmacodynamics. It does not, however, claim to be a basic textbook but rather one which addresses the increasing interest in the use of pharmacodynamic modelling in the design of clinical trials. The first seven chapters provide an overview of pharmacodynamics and the causes of variation in both pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Unfortunately there is a certain amount of duplication in the material covered by the authors of different chapters but this permits each chapter to be read in isolation. The second section of the book addresses the application of pharmacodynamic modelling to areas of the cardiovascular system, central nervous system and the use of antibiotics, antineoplastics and antiviral agents. This section provides ample demonstration of both the utility of pharmacodynamic models and the difficulty of selecting appropriate models and suitable measures of effect. The final three chapters of this textbook consider molecular approaches to clarifying the mechanisms of drug action. They provide an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the text with consideration of methods for classification and elucidation of ~t-adreno receptors, muscarinic receptors and serotonin receptors. This textbook is unlikely to appeal to a large readership but provides a valuable overview of recent work in pharmacodynamics. M. HAWTHORN
Polymeric Site-Specific Pharmacotherapy: A. J. DOMn (editor), Wiley, Chichester, 1994. Pages xi + 464. £75.00. ISBN 0-471-93824-6. This book comprises a review of a most relevant and expanding area of research into efficient drug delivery systems in which drugs may be delivered specifically to their sites of action thereby increasing therapeutic effectiveness and reducing harmful systemic effects. Bio-absorbable polymers, of which there is an ever-increasing array, may be used as ideal drug carrier systems to the target tissue for the treatment of several diseased states. Each chapter, dealing with a specific site of target tissue, has been written by specialist authors active in their respective areas of research. The presentations are extensively detailed and referenced and therefore the book would be aimed largely at postgraduate level rather than the undergraduate student. The initial chapters review extensively several biocompatable polymers in current use for implantation. These chapters concentrate on the types of polymers, their structure, degradation rates, blending possibilities, and some major concerns such as biocompatability and toxicity (especially tests for cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity). The kinetics of drug release from polymer implants are also thoroughly reviewed. A further chapter deals specifically with the concepts necessary to understand modelling of drug delivery to brain tissue from interstitial sources. There is a chapter with an in-depth account of tumour-specific drug targeting constituting a description of the work done over a period of time on polymer-conjugated