The Quest for the Cure

The Quest for the Cure: The Science and Stories Behind the Next Generation of Medicines Paperback – January 1, 2013

Author: Visit Amazon's Brent R. Stockwell Page | Language: English | ISBN: 0231152132 | Format: PDF, EPUB

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The Quest for the Cure: The Science and Stories Behind the Next Generation of Medicines – January 1, 2013
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From Publishers Weekly

Stockwell, professor of biology and chemistry at Columbia University, claims that the success drug companies have had developing specific chemicals to combat disease is likely coming to an end. According to Stockwell, the techniques scientists have used to fight disease up to now, binding drug molecules to proteins, may have reached its limit, as most proteins, it seems, cannot bind with drug molecules; they are "undruggable." But genes are "druggable." Stockwell is impressive in describing a new paradigm of pharmaceutical research that could open a host of new possibilities for currently untreatable diseases involving advances in genomics, molecular biology, and chemistry. By providing accessible explanations for the underlying biological and chemical principles that apply to the complex solutions he describes, Stockwell enables even the scientifically unsophisticated reader to gain a wider perspective on what future disease treatment might entail. He also brings to life the excitement of scientific research by highlighting classic experiments that have shaped our understanding of biological systems and profiling major players in the field. Illus. (June)
--This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.

Review

The dearth of promising new treatments for many a serious disease remains a major challenge not just for the pharmaceutical industry but for all of society. In this exhaustively researched book, Brent R. Stockwell surveys the history of drug development and offers insightful suggestions for innovative new approaches. This is critical reading for the many involved in and concerned about this urgent issue.

(Robert Bazell, chief science correspondent, NBC News, and author of Her-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer)

This is a terrific book! Stockwell's writing is clear and engaging as he presents a thoughtful analysis of drug development that can be understood and appreciated by a diverse readership. Stockwell beautifully combines scientific history and personal anecdotes with clear explanations of the principles and practices of chemical biology to make a fascinating story of the past, present, and future of drug discovery. His book is informative, accurate, and a good read all put together.

(Geoffrey Cooper, Boston University, author of The Cell: A Molecular Approach and Oncogenes)

This is a truly wonderful book. Stockwell's writing will open the door to a universe that many readers may know little about. Drugs are born, biotech companies are created, scientists' careers are made and unmade, egos are raised and dashed. This book is so readable, it is an absolute page-turner. Yet it is also authoritative and scientifically sophisticated, managing to distill a complex, changing field into a beautifully written, well-crafted story.

(Siddhartha Mukherjee, Columbia University, author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer)

By providing accessible explanations for the underlying biological and chemical principles that apply to the complex solutions he describes, Stockwell enables even the scientifically unsophisticated reader to gain a wider perspective on what future disease treatment might entail.

(Publishers Weekly)

This very readable, even exciting work takes us through the medical breakthroughs of the past century.

(Globe and Mail)

This book deserves a readership, and there is certainly a need for it. As a drug companyresearcher, I have often wished that more people understood what the field was likeand how simultaneously fascinating and frustrating it can be.

(Derek B. Lowe Cell)

In this well-researched look into the complexities of making medicines, a chemical biologist gives a history of drug making and details innovative methods of drug discovery.

(Science News)

Despite our current political paralysis, government leaders should listen to Stockwell and be certain to advance our capacity to generate the drugs that our society and the world need.

(Harvard Magazine)

The book is well organized and includes many interesting, clever analogies to explain what can be complicated scientific problems.

(Choice)

An engaging and rewarding read...

(Donald C. Lo Journal of Clinical Investigation)

The reader is not only left with a satisfying overview of the proud history and future challenges of finding new medicines but also encouragement that Stockwell and his contemporaries are creatively committed to academic drug discovery.

(David Kroll Nature Chemistry)

Stockwell writes well -- his prose is accessible to the educated reader, irrespective of his or her background. All of the personalities, errors and successes in contemporary drug discovery are presented. Stockwell enlivens their stories with anecdotes...

(Garrett A. FitzGerald Nature Medicine)

It is impossible to read this relatively short book...without being captured by the author's optimism about the future of drug development.

(Robert C. Young, M.D. Oncology Times)

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Paperback: 284 pages
Publisher: Columbia University Press (January 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0231152132
ISBN-13: 978-0231152136
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,583,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Drawing heavily from his research & academic backgrounds, Stockwell provides an informative account on drug discovery challenges and ongoing/potential approaches to address them. For a reader with medical background, this is an excellent read while a general reader will struggle with the details. (3.5*)

(Review adapted from my blog; free advance copy provided by the publisher)

At the very outset, Stockwell provides a succinct explanation of why drug discovery is far more challenging than what one may imagine - by focusing on the actual mechanics of "small drug molecules" and proteins involved in disease progression. (A reader can easily grasp this complexity when Stockwell highlights that only 2% of the proteins are now considered "druggable" and the generally risk-averse scientists typically tend to focus only on this minority due to commercial considerations.) The discussion on how drugs actually work may be of interest to the average reader. He then describes (with various examples) various drug discovery mechanisms and a history of cancer drugs. The role of luck in discoveries, of course, is well known...but through these discussions, one gets to appreciate not only the role of luck but also of perseverance and a systematic approach to design experiments. A subsequent chapter on the author's entrepreneurial experience provides some insights on the potential of studying combinations of approved drugs - but the narration is too focused on the company history, a reader is likely to be distracted.

The second part starts with an introduction to promising emerging techniques of drug discovery including structure-based designs, virtual screening, and fragment-based screening.

Modern medicine has immensely improved and in many cases dramatically changed our lives. Many diseases that have until relatively recently been considered incurable have been tackled and overcome. Mapping of the entire human genome at the beginning of the twenty-first century, as well as many novel techniques for developing and testing of the new drugs, have all contributed to the sense that even greater medical breakthroughs are just around the corner. However, this promise has remained not much more than hype. In fact, truly new medicinal drugs are becoming more and more rare, and the time between their development and when they hit the market is ever increasing.

This book aims to give the reader an idea what are drugs from a molecular point of view, and how they affect our bodies. Drugs are relatively small molecules that bind to specific cell proteins and change their function. Coming up with the right kind of small molecule that would do the job is immensely difficult. There is an innumerable amount of potential drug candidates, and choosing the right ones is as much of an art as it is science. Even so, there is a very real possibility that the vast majority of proteins might be "undruggable," i.e. there are no small molecules that would bind to them. The book explores these possibility in some detail, and it offers possible alternative approaches to drugs that could go around the current impediments.

The book is a great mixture of science, medical technology, and business. It provides invaluable insights into the development of new drugs, and the limitations of the current approaches. It also introduces the reader to the world of medical research startups, and the way that these small companies are redefining the drug discovery business.