The discovery and development of effective medicines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression has been heralded as one of the great medical achievements of the past century. Indeed, the profound impact of these medicines on our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying these diseases, the treatment of psychiatric patients and even our social perception of mental illnesses cannot be underestimated. However, there is still an urgent medical need for even more effective, safe and well-tolerated treatments. For example, currently available treatments for schizophrenia address mainly the positive symptoms and largely neglect the negative symptoms and cognitive disfunction which greatly impact overall morbidity. Similarly, whilst the current first line antidepressants show significantly improved side effect profiles compared to the first generation therapies, there still up to 40% of patients who are treatment resistant, and even in the patient population which responds well, the onset of action is slow at typically 2-3 weeks. The aim of this book is to provide the first point of call for those involved or just interested in this rapidly expanding and increasingly fragmented field of research and drug discovery. The editors will combine their wide ranging experience and extensive network of contacts with leading scientists and opinion leaders in this field to provide an authoritative reference text covering the evolution, major advances, challenges and future directions in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry for major psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, addiction and autism.

This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the currently used concepts, approaches and technologies in the discovery and development of new treatments for the full spectrum of disorders of the central nervous system. It guides the reader through all essential steps, from finding an innovative idea, to the registration of a new drug. Divided into four sections, the book starts by presenting a broad perspective on current approaches in central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery. The second section addresses the generation of ideas for the identification of targets and novel treatment strategies; covers core functions in early discovery, and provides an example of a novel treatment paradigm: brain stimulation. The third section highlights strategies and technologies in translational CNS drug discovery. In an effort to bridge the gap between discovery and clinical development, it also covers brain imaging, EEG and cognitive testing approaches. The fourth section extensively discusses the clinical phase of drug development, covering the basics of early clinical testing for psychopharmacological drugs. The book’s final chapter addresses the registration for newly developed drugs. Written by experts from academia and industry, the book covers important basics and best practices, as well as recent developments in drug discovery. Offering in-depth insights into the world of drug development, it represents essential reading for early researchers who want to prepare for a career in drug discovery in academia or industry.

Since the pioneering pharmacotherapy for treatment of schizophrenia in the 1950s by antipsychotics, only a few major innovations have been made, pointing to a general stagnation in the field of pharmacology of schizophrenia. Drug Discovery for Schizophrenia covers new insights in the field of schizophrenia with an aim to advance the understanding of scientists and clinicians in this area and to fuel drug discovery. The book outlines a change in the way schizophrenia is treated by moving away from focusing only on treating symptoms in patients. Innovative drugs emerge from deeper comprehension of the pathological processes that emerge earlier in life, hence, providing strategies for preventative therapy to alter the course of this mental disorder. Amongst other current topics, the book covers new findings in genetics and epigenetics, progress in animal models for schizophrenia and the usage of induced pluripotent stem cells. The combination of these important areas benefit psychiatric neuroscience, filling the gaps in the knowledge of neurobiology of schizophrenia and providing novel perspectives for future drug development.

Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders is the summary of a workshop convened by the IOM Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders to examine opportunities to accelerate early phases of drug development for nervous system drug discovery. Workshop participants discussed challenges in neuroscience research for enabling faster entry of potential treatments into first-in-human trials, explored how new and emerging tools and technologies may improve the efficiency of research, and considered mechanisms to facilitate a more effective and efficient development pipeline. There are several challenges to the current drug development pipeline for nervous system disorders. The fundamental etiology and pathophysiology of many nervous system disorders are unknown and the brain is inaccessible to study, making it difficult to develop accurate models. Patient heterogeneity is high, disease pathology can occur years to decades before becoming clinically apparent, and diagnostic and treatment biomarkers are lacking. In addition, the lack of validated targets, limitations related to the predictive validity of animal models - the extent to which the model predicts clinical efficacy - and regulatory barriers can also impede translation and drug development for nervous system disorders. Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders identifies avenues for moving directly from cellular models to human trials, minimizing the need for animal models to test efficacy, and discusses the potential benefits and risks of such an approach. This report is a timely discussion of opportunities to improve early drug development with a focus toward preclinical trials.

Personalized Psychiatry presents the first book to explore this novel field of biological psychiatry that covers both basic science research and its translational applications. The book conceptualizes personalized psychiatry and provides state-of-the-art knowledge on biological and neuroscience methodologies, all while integrating clinical phenomenology relevant to personalized psychiatry and discussing important principles and potential models. It is essential reading for advanced students and neuroscience and psychiatry researchers who are investigating the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. - Combines neurobiology with basic science methodologies in genomics, epigenomics and transcriptomics - Demonstrates how the statistical modeling of interacting biological and clinical information could transform the future of psychiatry - Addresses fundamental questions and requirements for personalized psychiatry from a basic research and translational perspective

Focusing on phytochemicals and their potential for drug discovery, this book offers a comprehensive resource on poisonous plants and their applications in chemistry and in pharmacology. Provides a comprehensive resource on phytotoxins, covering historical perspectives, modern applications, and their potential in drug discovery Covers the mechanisms, benefits, risks and management protocols of phytotoxins in a scientific laboratory and the usefulness in drug discovery Presents chapters in a carefully designed, clear order, making it an ideal resource for the academic researcher or the industry professional at any stage in their career

This book overturns the idea that psychiatric drugs work by correcting chemical imbalance and analyzes the professional, commercial and political vested interests that have shaped this view. It provides a comprehensive critique of research on drugs including antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers.

This is a wide scope and in-depth coverage of the state of the art and future directions in drug discovery for major psychiatric disorders.

Biomarkers, or biological markers, are quantitative measurements that offer researchers and clinicians valuable insight into diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for many disorders and diseases. A major goal in neuroscience medical research is establishing biomarkers for disorders of the nervous system. Given the promising potential and necessity for neuroscience biomarkers, the Institute of Medicine Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders convened a public workshop and released the workshop summary entitled Neuroscience Biomarkers and Biosignatures: Converging Technologies, Emerging Partnerships. The workshop brought together experts from multiple areas to discuss the most promising and practical arenas in neuroscience in which biomarkers will have the greatest impact. The main objective of the workshop was to identify and discuss biomarker targets that are not currently being aggressively pursued but that could have the greatest near-term impact on the rate at which new treatments are brought forward for psychiatric and neurological disorders.