Development of Anti-Asthma Drugs reviews existing asthma treatments and novel approaches currently under investigation, in the context of their mode of action and clinical effectiveness, in the hope that this might lead to a greater understanding of the factors involved in the expression of the disease and, therefore, in the design of better drugs. It is planned based on the concept of the causes and treatment of asthma, This book is organized in three main parts. Part I deals with the nature of asthma, its pathological mechanisms, natural history and epidemiology. Part II discusses mediators associated with asthma including platelet-activating factor, leukotrienes and histamine. Part II covers pharmaceutical approaches in the development of anti-asthma drugs and includes sections on inhibitors of mediator release and competitive and functional antagonists. This book will be of interest to persons dealing with studies on anti-asthma drugs and those interested in pharmacological development.

Severe asthma is a form of asthma that responds poorly to currently available medication, and its patients represent those with greatest unmet needs. In the last 10 years, substantial progress has been made in terms of understanding some of the mechanisms that drive severe asthma; there have also been concomitant advances in the recognition of specific molecular phenotypes. This ERS Monograph covers all aspects of severe asthma – epidemiology, diagnosis, mechanisms, treatment and management – but has a particular focus on recent understanding of mechanistic heterogeneity based on an analytic approach using various ‘omics platforms applied to clinically well-defined asthma cohorts. How these advances have led to improved management targets is also emphasised. This book brings together the clinical and scientific expertise of those from around the world who are collaborating to solve the problem of severe asthma.

Personalized medicine is a rapidly emerging area in health care, and asthma management lends itself particularly well to this new development. This practical resource by Dr. Stanley J. Szefler helps you navigate the many asthma medication options available to your patients, as well as providing insights into those which may be introduced within the next several years. - Features a wealth of information on available asthma medications, including new immunomodulators, new responses to treatment, and new treatment strategies at all levels of asthma care. - Prepares you to meet your patients' needs regarding asthma exacerbation prevention and asthma prevention. - Consolidates today's available information and guidance in this timely area into one convenient resource.

Inhaled medicines are widely used to treat pulmonary and systemic diseases. The efficacy and safety of these medicines can be influenced by the deposited fraction, the regional deposition pattern within the lungs and by post-depositional events such as drug dissolution, absorption and clearance from the lungs. Optimizing performance of treatments thus requires that we understand and are able to quantify these product and drug attributes. Inhaled Medicines: Optimizing Development through Integration of In Silico, In Vitro and In Vivo Approaches explores the current state of the art with respect to inhalation drug delivery, technologies available to assess product performance, and novel in silico methods now available to link in vitro product performance to clinical performance. Recent developments in the latter field, especially the prospect of integration of three-dimensional Computational Fluid Particle Methods (3D-CFPD) with physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK models), unlocks the potential for in silico population studies that can help inform and optimize treatment and product development strategies. In this highly multidisciplinary field, where progress occurs at the intersection of several disciplines of engineering and science, this work aims to integrate current knowledge and understanding and to articulate a clear vision for future developments. ? Considers the healthcare needs driving the field, and where inhaled drugs could have the maximum impact ? Gives a concise account of the state of the art in key areas and technologies such as device and formulation technologies, clinically relevant in vitro performance assessment, medical imaging, as well as in silico modelling and simulation ? Articulates how the combination of in vitro product performance data, medical imaging and simulations technologies in the framework of large scale in silico pre-clinical trials could revolutionize the field ? Provides systematic and thorough referencing to sources offering a more-in-depth analysis of technical issues

When someone has an asthma attack, it is difficult for them to breathe, but using an inhaler can help them breathe easy again. Through the age-appropriate narrative and delightful illustrations, readers are introduced to colorful characters that explain asthma and inhalers in a charming and informative way. Fact boxes further explain this sensitive subject matter so that it is compelling and comprehensive for young readers. This creative approach to learning about the human body is an excellent resource for children with asthma and for readers who want to learn more about this disorder.

Asthma is a chronic airway disease affecting over 300 million people worldwide with an expected increase of an additional 100 million by 2025. Past decade has observed a notable increase in asthma prevalence on both national and global levels with highest rates observed in western countries (about 30%). Over the past 40 years, a drastic increase in global prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and economic burden have been observed due to asthma especially in children. The rising numbers of hospital admissions for asthma, especially young children, reflect an increase in severe asthma, poverty and lack of proper disease management. Worldwide, approximately 180,000 deaths annually are caused due to this condition. The financial burden on a single asthma patient per year in different western countries ranges from US$300–1,300. Asthma is an intricate respiratory disorder with differences in its severity, natural history and hence treatment response. These differences in intensities of various presentations such as bronchial hyper-responsiveness, airway inflammation, mucus production, airflow obstruction make asthma a heterogeneous disease. The mainstay of current therapies for asthma includes inhaled corticosteroids, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, leukotriene modifiers and β2-adrenoceptor agonists. Some of the currently available drugs are efficient in one or more aspects. However the associated side effects or heterogeneity of the disease limit their usefulness and efficacy, thereby putting a demand on development of new drugs and therapies. On the other hand, asthma has also been treated/managed via herbal medications. These approaches have been described in Unani, Ayurvedic or Chinese system of medicine since antiquity. In fact, several anti-asthmatic drugs were developed from herbs commonly utilized in the non-Western system of medicine. This book focuses on the pathophysiology of asthma, its medication (both herbal and modern), limitations and their future prospects.

This reference collects the latest studies on the development, diagnosis, and treatment of childhood asthma and offers current perspectives on new technologies that will shape the management of pediatric asthma in the forthcoming decade-illustrating how advances in pulmonary function measurement, inflammatory markers, imaging, and pharmacogenetics

Copy 2, Gift of Mrs. E. Carwile LeRoy, 2009.

In recent years our understanding of molecular mechanisms of drug action and interindividual variability in drug response has grown enormously. Meanwhile, the practice of anesthesiology has expanded to the preoperative environment and numerous locations outside the OR. Anesthetic Pharmacology: Basic Principles and Clinical Practice, 2nd edition, is an outstanding therapeutic resource in anesthesia and critical care: Section 1 introduces the principles of drug action, Section 2 presents the molecular, cellular and integrated physiology of the target organ/functional system and Section 3 reviews the pharmacology and toxicology of anesthetic drugs. The new Section 4, Therapeutics of Clinical Practice, provides integrated and comparative pharmacology and the practical application of drugs in daily clinical practice. Edited by three highly acclaimed academic anesthetic pharmacologists, with contributions from an international team of experts, and illustrated in full colour, this is a sophisticated, user-friendly resource for all practitioners providing care in the perioperative period.