Drug development metabolism

The partition coefficient and aqueous solubility are properties important for the study of the adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADME-Tox) of drugs. The prediction of the ADME-Tox properties of drug candidates has recently attracted much interest because these properties account for the failure of about 60 % of all drug candidates in the clinical phases. The prediction of these properties in an early phase of the drug development process could therefore lead to significant savings in research and development costs. 

The metabolism ofa potential drug has to be considered at an early phase of the drug development process. 

Workman, P. Enzyme-directed bioreductive drug development revisted a commentary on recent progress and future prospects with emphasis on quinone anticancer agents and quinone metabolizing enzymes, particularly DT-diaphorase. Oncol. Res. 1994, 6, 461 175. 

Preclinical drug development also involves animal testing [61]. Data from one rodent species and one nonrodent species are usually collected to determine the absorption, metabolism, and toxicity characteristics of the compound. Both short-term (2 weeks to 3 months) and long-term (up to several years) studies are done. The long-term studies are particularly useful for... 

Biological activity is not the only criterion required for drug development, as anyone who has been involved in this area is aware. Potency, toxicity, bioavailability, metabolic stability, and plasma half-life are only a few of the critical issues that must be addressed. Although satisfactory potency and spectrum activity had been achieved with WIN54954, which has been clinically evaluated, this compound lacked metabolic stability and consequently displayed a short half-life. 

Drugs-Design. 2. Drugs-Metabolism. 3. Drug development. 

The development of synthetic methods for the selective introduction of short-chain perfluoroalkyl groups into organic molecules is of interest in drug development [464]. Fluoromodifications often confer unique properties on a molecule, for example in terms of increased metabolic stability and lipophilicity and, as a consequence, the pharmacokinetic profiles are often improved [465]. Burger and coworkers developed a domino process consisting of a SN reaction combined with a Claisen and a Cope rearrangement which allows the transformation of simple fluorinated compounds into more complex molecules with fluoro atoms [466]. Treatment of furan 2-917 with 2-hydroxymethyl thiophene (2-918) in the presence... 

Tukker, G., Houston, J. B., Huang, S.-M., Optimizing drug development strategies to assess drug metabolism/ transporter interaction potential — toward a consensus, Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 2001, 70, 103-114. 

It is only during the past few years that the importance of the metabolic and pharmacokinetic behavior of drug molecules in the drug discovery process has been recognized. One of the causes for failure in drug development is the lack of suitable pharmacokinetic properties of drug candidates. At the same time, the development... 

This volume gives an overview of the current status and an outlook to future more reliable predictive approaches. It is subdivided in five sections dealing with studies of membrane permeability and oral absorption, drug dissolution and solubility, the role of transporters and metabolism in oral absorption, computational approaches to drug absorption and bioavailability, and finally with certain drug development issues. 

The volume is divided into five sections. Part one looks at the experimental study of membrane permeability and oral absorption. In Part two, problems of measuring and prediction solubility, as one of the key determinants in the absorption process, will be discussed in detail. In the next part, progress in the science around transporter proteins and gut wall metabolism and their effect on the overall absorption process is presented. Part four looks at the in silico approaches and models to predict permeability, absorption and bioavailability. In the last part of the book, a number of drug development issues will be highlighted, which could have an important impact of the overall delivery strategies for oral pharmaceutical products. 

Shi MM et al. Pharmacogenetic Application in Drug Development and Clinical Trials. Drug Metabolism Disposition 2001 29 591-595. 

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