Drug data supporting technique

Therapeutic Efficacy. The therapeutic efficacy of risperidone for schizophrenia has been well established in several controlled trials conducted worldwide ( 74, 75). The clinical efficacy trials performed to support approval of risperidone by regulatory agencies have all been published. Therefore, it is appropriate to combine these data using meta-analytic techniques to explore the efficacy of risperidone compared with neuroleptics. For most drugs, the relationship of dose and response is defined by the classic sigmoidal curve. Thus, as the dose (or plasma level) increases beyond a threshold and reaches the linear portion of the curve, response increases. Once the dose is high enough to produce maximal clinical response, the dose-response curve then levels off. 

Limited data exist to support drug management in phobic disorders. Behavioral techniques, especially for specific phobic conditions, are currently the treatment of choice. MAOIs, SSRIs, clonidine, and alprazolam may benefit some patients. Figure 12-3 summarizes the management strategy we would recommend. 

Therefore, a key strategy in drug discovery is to profile compoimd properties to select and optimize leads for safety and efficacy. Techniques and data analysis that contribute to tactics supporting this strategy are discussed in this chapter. 

Another assumption needed to accept serum level determinations as useful, is that the degree of toxicity is linearly related to the trough level. Current evidence does not support this correlation, since the early data of Schentag and coworkers [163] clearly demonstrated that the extent of renal uptake - which in turns will trigger toxicity - may vary widely among patients. What we actually need is a direct estimation of the amount of drug retained in the kidney, but that information is not easy to obtain by non-invasive techniques. 

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