Systems Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics

While systems biology and pharmacodynamics have evolved in parallel, there are significant interrelationships that can enhance drug discovery and enable optimized therapy for each patient. Systems pharmacology is the relatively new discipline that is the interface between these two methods. This book is the first to cover the expertise from systems biology and pharmacodynamics researchers, describing how systems pharmacology may be developed and refined further to show practical applications in drug development. There is a growing awareness that pharmaceutical companies should reduce the high attrition in the pipeline due to insufficient efficacy or toxicity found in proof-of-concept and/or Phase II studies. Systems Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics discusses the framework for integrating information obtained from understanding physiological/pathological pathways (normal body function system vs. perturbed system due to disease) and pharmacological targets in order to predict clinical efficacy and adverse events through iterations between mathematical modeling and experimentation.

Donald E. Mager is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB). Prior to joining the faculty at UB, Dr. Mager completed two years of post-doctoral training as an IRTA Fellow at the National Institute on Aging of the NIH. He has received the University at Buffalo Young Investigator Award and the New Investigator Award in Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Drug Metabolism from AAPS. Dr. Mager has taught as a Visiting Professor at the University Paris Descartes. He currently serves on the Clinical Pharmacology Advisory Committee to the FDA and the Editorial Advisory Boards of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Disposition and Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics. He was also elected as a Fellow to the American College of Clinical Pharmacology, as Chair of the Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Research section of AAPS, and as a member of the Board of Directors to the American Society of Pharmacometrics. His research focuses on identifying molecular and physiological factors that control the pharmacological properties of various drugs including anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, and anti-platelet drugs. He has contributed to over 69 peer-reviewed publications.