Terpenoids and Steroids, vol. 12.

basic and clinical research. This view is confirmed by both the content and presentation of this volume. Few of us interested in catecholamines a t any level could fail to profit from a perusal of the chapters outside our own ranges of expertise. I found this book to be of substantial value and recommend it both to libraries and to catecholamine lovers.

David J. Triggle Department of Biochemical Pharmacology School of Pharmacy State University of New York at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260

Controlled Drug Bioavailability,vol. 1:Drug Product Design Edited by Victor F. Srnolen and Lu and Performance. Ann Ball. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158. 1984. 297 pp. 16 x 24.5 crn. $65.00. As stated in the first sentence of the preface “the purpose of this newly established continuing series of monographs is to provide a forum to disseminate current knowledge that contributes to expediting the design, development, evaluation, manufacture, control, marketing, and clinical use of increasing safer and more effective drug products at lower costs.” This first volume is aimed a t the establishment of optimum release characteristics for the therapeutic product objective. The first chapter, “Optimally Controlled Drug Bioavailability in Theory and Products,” develops the concepts of design of drug-release parameters and their evaluation. The second chapter, “Applied Biodynamic Analysis of Drugs,” emphasizes how the dynamic response profiles are evaluated in order to determine optimally delivery parameters. These themes are developed in the next three chapters-“Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Drug-Responding Systems: Drug Bioavailability Input-Response Relationship,” “Systems Analysis and Optimization of Drug Input Functions,” and “Pharmacokinetic-Model-BasedOptimization of Drug Inputs Exemplified by an Administration Strategy of Insulin.” The next chapter, “Kinetic Hysteresis as a Tool for Analysis of Pharmacokinetic Data,” examines in detail the conditions under which pharmacological response does not parallel t h e rise and fall of central compartment drug concentrations, discussing clearly how conclusions can be developed. The contents of the next two chapters are clearly outlined by their titles-“Mathematical Modeling of Diffusion Processes in Drug Delivery Polymeric Systems” and “Design of Experiments and Statistical Analysis of Biological Studies.” The last chapter, “Marketing in a Generic Environment,” only 14 pages, seems to this reviewer to be out of place. It is of a very general nature suitable for a lay audience rather than those capable of assessing the prior state-of-the-art technology, the readers of the first eight chapters. Every chapter is well-referenced and is current. This is required reading for all seeking to develop or evaluate optimal dosage delivery systems for best therapeutic response. Some may say these concepts do not relate to present drug systems. However, as our understanding of drug dynamics develops, we are increasingly becoming aware of

the need for greater sophistication in our drug delivery systems. This volume addresses this need. John € Wood I. School of Pharmacy Medical College of Virginia Campus Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23298

Controlled Drug Bioavailability,vol. 2: BioavailabilityMethodology and Regulation. Edited by Victor F. Srnolen and Lu Ann Ball. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158. 1984. 259 pp. 16 24.5 crn. $65.00. This volume continues the concept of detailed development of controlled release criteria exemplified by the first volume of this series. The first two chapters, “Experimental Factors Influencing the Results of Drug Product Bioavailability Bioequivalency Studies in Humans” and “Animal Studies and the Bioavailability Testing of Drug Products,” are both excellent reviews of the procedures, techniques, and the factors involved in in vitro studies. In particular, the advantages and limitations of animal models are clearly set forth. The correlation with and values of in vitro testing is clearly developed in the next three chapters. These are “In Vitro Drug Bioavailability Parameters,” “Computational Conversion of In Vitro Drug Dissolution Data into In Vivo Drug Response Versus Time Profiles,” and “In Vitro Drug Product Dissolution Testing: Apparatus and Methodologies.” The final two chapters-“Pharmacokinetic Considerations in Drug Studies’’ and “Computer Resolution of Bioavailability and Pharmacokinetic Data from Recorded Physiological Signals Exemplified for Organic Nitrates”-provide a fitting conclusion. In particular the last chapter makes a strong exposition of the theme Dr. Smolen has been developing in these volumes-the power of full dynamic modeling to relate drug release parameters to observable physiological responses. As in the first volume, each chapter is well referenced and complete in itself. This series promises to be required reading for all involved in the development and evaluation of dosage forms seeking to optimize the attributes of the drug entity they contain.

John H. Wood School of Pharmacy Medical College of Virginia Campus Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23298

Terpenoids and Steroids, vol. 12. Specialist Periodical Reports. J. R. Hanson, Senior Reporter. The Royal Society of Chemistry, London WIV OBN, U.K. 1983. 14.5 3 22.5 crn. $100.00. 354 pp. As in previous volumes in this series, the authors have put together a first-class report on the terpenoid and steroid literature which covers the period September 1980 to August 1981. In part I, the terpenoids, it was particularly pleasing to see a much-awaited section (chapter 1)on the monoterpenes, which has not been reviewed in this series since volume 9. The authors have maintained the thoroughness of previous Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 801 VoJ. 74, No. 7, July $985

reports in their coverage of sesquiterpenoids (chapter 21, diterpenoids (chapter 31, and triterpenoids (chapter 4), as well as a chapter (5) on carotenoids and polyterpenoids which concentrates mainly on stereospecific synthetic procedures. Part I1 of this report deals with steroids; chapter 1 covers recent reports of physical methods in steroid analysis, and chapter 2 deals with steroid reactions and partial syntheses. The report has an author index; however, it suffers from the lack of a subject index, which makes informational retrieval a tedious business. The volume is adequately bound, but a t $100.00 it is expensive, unless one is a Royal Society of Chemistry member. It is worthwhile to note that this volume will be the last of the “Terpenoids and Steroids” Specialist Reports. In the future, this report will be included in a new review journal entitled Natural Product Reports.

Peter A. Crooks College of Pharmacy Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40536

Liposome Technology, vol. 1 : Preparation of Liposomes; vol. 2: Incorporation of Drugs, Proteins, and Genetic Materials; vol. 3: Targeted Drug Delivery and Biological Edited by Gregory Gregoriadis. CRC Interaction. Press, Inc., 2000 Corporate Boulevard N.W., Boca Raton, FL 33431. 1984. Vol. 1: 268 pp. 18 x 26 cm. $83.00. Vol. 2: 231 pp. 18 x 26 crn. $83.00. Vol. 3:292 pp. 18 x 26 crn. $83.00. Regardless of your depth of interest in liposome technology, we believe that these three books are not a good buy. In the last few years, interest in liposomes has mushroomed. Thus, those interested in the field should be interested in a series of major books on liposomes, edited by G. Gregoriadis, who is well known for his work in this area. However, as discussed below, few readers will find the type of information collected, or the format of its presentation, well suited t o his or her needs. For those who know little of the field, but wish to become informed, there are better ways at far lower costs. This rather massive, three-volume, 2-kg work contains a total of -800 pages and costs nearly $300. There are 50 chapters, each separately written by a different author, or author-group. Altogether, there are -90 authors or coauthors, many of them well known for their extensive work in liposomes. The authors are located in 12 countries in Europe, also in Japan, Canada, and the U.S. About one-half the contributors are from the U.S., and all of the chapters are in English. Although the title is “Liposome Technology,” a better title might have been “Liposome Laboratory Methods in Academic Research.” “Technology” often implies largescale or commercial production, and there is very little in these 50 chapters of direct relevance to someone interested in commercial production of liposomes. As indicated in the Preface, these books concentrate overwhelmingly on the “methodology”or experimental details of the subject, following guidelines set by the Editor. About two-thirds to three-fourths of each chapter is devoted t o a rather tedious recitation of endless details on milligrams, milliliters, times, temperatures, concentrations, etc. Each chapter does contain a few paragraphs of “Introduction,” and a relatively short “critical discussion” that is usually too short and not adequately critical. The three-volume work is 802 / Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 74, No. 7, July 1985

thus essentially a super laboratory manual for emerging liposome scientists. Some researchers may like to use this form of information retrieval while actually doing experiments at the bench. But if one sits down and tries to read this work, one has the feeling that someone has clipped out the Experimental Sections from 50 or more journal articles, added a few introductory and concluding comments, and mechanically bound them together. In fact, in many cases essentially the same information can be found in one or more research papers from the (chapter’s) senior author’s laboratory. Ideally, the editor of any book by 90 authors-a large number of such books have been published in recent yearsshould systematically eliminate duplications and contradictions and pound the residue into a unified, coherent treatise. Increasingly, it is beyond the power of any editor or group of editors to accomplish such a task within a reasonable time period. We suspect that our current generation of scientists is the last that will be willing or able to use printed-on-paper books of this massive multiauthor format, unless ways are found to make such books considerably more valuable to a researcher (or research group) than a collection of 100 or so reprints on the subject. This may be particularly true in a field such as this, where the number of review articles, “Symposia Proceedings,” and books is by no means a small fraction of the total published original research. Volume 1 focuses on the preparation of liposomes. Following an informative introductory chapter on the physiocochemica1 properties of phospholipids, there are 17 chapters presenting different approaches to liposome preparation from the perspective of these 17 laboratories. The index to this volume, as well as the other two, is a disappointment. No chapter compares and contrasts the various techniques. There is no guide to the novice o r the experienced to aid in selection of one technique over another. We have on file most of the original research papers from these various groups. Little new information or new insights are included in any of the chapters. Volume 2 is subtitled “Incorporation of Drugs, Proteins, and Genetic Material,’’ but is primarily a continuation of individualized approaches to liposome preparation, with attention focused on a particular class of material to be entrapped, e.g., cancer chemotherapeutic agents, immunogenic determinants, drugs for treatment of leishmaniasis, genetic material, etc. Volume 3 is subtitled “Targeted Drug Delivery and Biological Interaction.” In the first chapter, Poste et al. raises many questions about the feasibility of actually gaining a dramatic therapeutic advantage by using “targeted liposomes,” but these problems are not systematically addressed in the following 17 chapters. Again, a collection of reprints combined with several of the available reviews in this area will give you the same information. Over 80%of the authors are from academic or governmentsupported nonprofit research contributions. One might, therefore, expect objectivity t o be the overriding theme of a major work such as this, yet this was not our impression. There is a flavor of promotion. A forward to several chapters, but by no means a majority, should read “the opinions and conclusions contained herein are solely those of the authors and are not intended to reflect either the opinions of authors of other chapters or the majority opinion of the scientific community.”

C. Anthony Hunt Gifford E. McCasland School of Pharmacy University of California San Francisco, CA 94143