Drug Discovery: The Role of Toxicology

Abstract

This chapter describes the principles of toxicology in the context of rational application of toxicology and related disciplines in the discovery of new therapeutic agents. Fundamental types of mechanisms involved in the genesis of adverse effects produced by pharmaceutical agents on host organs, tissues, and cells are described. Various emerging technologies are presented as tools for use in the drug candidate selection and optimization processes to predict adverse effects and improve probability of discovery and development of new therapeutic agents.