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The Quest for the Cure: The Science and Stories Behind the Next Generation of Medicines ReviewDrawing heavily from his research & academic backgrounds, Stockwell provides an informative account on drug discovery challenges and ongoing/potential approaches to address them. For a reader with medical background, this is an excellent read while a general reader will struggle with the details. (3.5*)
(Review adapted from my blog; free advance copy provided by the publisher)
At the very outset, Stockwell provides a succinct explanation of why drug discovery is far more challenging than what one may imagine - by focusing on the actual mechanics of "small drug molecules" and proteins involved in disease progression. (A reader can easily grasp this complexity when Stockwell highlights that only 2% of the proteins are now considered "druggable" and the generally risk-averse scientists typically tend to focus only on this minority due to commercial considerations.) The discussion on how drugs actually work may be of interest to the average reader. He then describes (with various examples) various drug discovery mechanisms and a history of cancer drugs. The role of luck in discoveries, of course, is well known...but through these discussions, one gets to appreciate not only the role of luck but also of perseverance and a systematic approach to design experiments. A subsequent chapter on the author's entrepreneurial experience provides some insights on the potential of studying combinations of approved drugs - but the narration is too focused on the company history, a reader is likely to be distracted.
The second part starts with an introduction to promising emerging techniques of drug discovery including structure-based designs, virtual screening, and fragment-based screening. He discusses the origin and potential of these techniques (sometimes a bit too detailed for an average reader), including aspects related to protein-protein interactions and emergence of personalized medicine. Then, the discussion takes on a far more technical density highlighting protein redactions, tagging and libraries for complex structures, biologics and some suggestions that border mostly on policies than technological issues.
One of the main issues with the book is it is not clear who the intended audience is and what level of details is expected of them. The narration (first-person account) appears to alternate between targeting students/new researchers and experienced peers, with a generous autobiographical component in between. This mosaic of narrative tones is very demanding on the reader and oftentimes tangential to the central themes. An average reader with a cursory knowledge about drug chemistry will likely gain from the first part of the book in understanding the complexities of drug development and also various background (very technical) of some of the classes of drugs and some better known biotech companies. The second part is likely to be beneficial for students of this field or those in the drug development ecosystem.
Perhaps, it is a reflection of the complexity of the topic - despite the best efforts of the author to make it accessible to a wider audience; the book is unlikely to sustain the interest of a reader with a non-medical background. The constant intertwining of autobiographical narration, historical vignettes of key personalities and the scientific research being discussed makes for a very challenging read... but well worth it for someone in this field by providing a realistic assessment of the potential for new drug discoveries. (3.5*)
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