Abstract
This interesting book is written by two very experienced pharmacologists and consultants to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. On 260 pages the book gives a very special overview on analgesic, which is hard to find in existing textbooks of pharmacology or textbooks on pain treatment. The title, ‘Global markets and therapies’, is somewhat misleading. Indeed, more than half of the book (the second part) analyses possible markets and future chances for analgesics. In the first part of book however, the authors give a very comprehensive and current overview about conventional analgesics, possible improvements of conventional therapies, possible new therapies as well as potential pharmacological targets. The chapters are well structured and the content easy to understand. In the beginning the reader is professionally introduced into the entire world of analgesics, their pharmacology and known mechanisms of action: opioids, non-opioid analgesics, NSAID, anti-migraine drugs, local anaesthetics and OTC-analgesics. The next chapter provides a detailed overview of improvements on conventional therapies: selective receptor agonism, selective enzyme inhibition and different drug delivery systems. Twenty pages are devoted to new potential targets. Although partly superficial (but this is not the main theme of book) it remains one of the most comprehensive reviews of potential pharmacological targets which is currently available. This chapter is worthwhile reading for everyone interested in pain research and may serve as a valuable source of literature. The overviews are followed by detailed analyses of the global markets for each group of analgesics.
The book is a clear must for everyone in the pharmaceutical industry dealing with analgesic, whether in R&D, marketing or sales. Colleagues in the field of global strategic marketing of analgesics will call this book a bible. It is helpful guide for every researcher in the field of pain research to obtain a fast overview about potential pharmacological targets in pain treatment, and serves as a source of literature. The clinician however, may find interesting aspects of analgesics, but will miss clinically relevant aspects.