Perspectives in Drug Discovery : A Collection of Essays on the Historyand Development of Pharmaceutical Substances

This collection of short essays deal with the history of drug discovery and covers a wide range of pharmaceutical substances, including prescription medication as well as illicit recreational drugs of abuse. Consideration was also given to the plethora of drugs encountered in routine forensic casework, especially in traffic crimes, such as driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) and in post-mortem toxicology when drug poisoning deaths are investigated. The essays were written over a number of years and reflect to a large extent my own interests and reading about the history of pharmacology and toxicology of drugs. Background information about the chemistry and pharmacology of many of the most commonly encountered drugs and poisons is presented and this should prove useful in the training of newly recruited staff as well as students starting their studies in pharmacology and toxicology. One aim of the essays was to highlight the human side of pharmacology in medicine by providing details about the scientists who are credited with making the crucial observation when a new therapeutic agent was discovered. Another aim was to highlight the role of serendipity in drug discovery. Abbreviated versions of the essays are scheduled to appear in consecutive issues of the bulletin of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT). For those who might be interested in a more in-depth coverage of this subject the book by Walter Sneader entitled ”Drug discovery – a history” is highly recommended. Sneader’s book has received excellent reviews and represents the best single reference source on the subject of drug discovery. It traces the development of drugs and medication from antiquity until the present day. Chemical structures are provided for most of the drugs discussed along with many interesting anecdotes about the individuals involved – chemists, physicians and pharmacologists – and key events in their quest to discover new and improved therapeutic agents. Another excellent and highly recommended text is the book entitled “Pharmaceutical achievers” produced by the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia. Of particular note to historians of science is the fact that this book also contains many photographs and biosketches of the men and women who made the discoveries. The essays are collected together here to make them more easily available and are published in book-form thanks to support from the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine (Rättsmedicinalverket, RMV). Hopefully these essays will be of interest to colleagues within various branches of the RMV organisation who specialise in forensic psychiatry, forensic genetics, forensic medicine and especially forensic toxicology. Linköping 2010-10-01 A.W. Jones Perspectives in Drug Discover