Triumph of the Heart: The Story of StatinsOver 25 million people in the U.S. alone have benefited from statins--such drugs as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, Pravachol, and other cholesterol-lowering medicines--in preventing stroke, heart attack, and other forms of coronary heart disease. But how did these remarkable, life-saving drugs come into being? In Triumph of the Heart, Dr. Jie Jack Li, a medicinal chemist and expert on drug discovery, tells for the first time the fascinating story of statins. Drawn from discussions with many scientists involved in the discovery and development of these drugs, the book illuminates the human side of science by revealing the role played by persistence, luck, and sudden insight that characterize major discoveries. For scientists in the drug industry, health care professionals, students of medicine, and all those intrigued by the basic human drive to explore and discover, Triumph of the Heart offers a compelling view of one of the most important drug discoveries of our time. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
American Anitschkov annual sales antibiotic arteries assay AstraZeneca atherosclerosis atorvastatin Baycol became began bile acid billion bioavailability biosynthesis Bloch blockbuster Bristol-Myers Squibb calcium cardiovascular chemical cholesterol levels cholesterol-lowering drugs cholestyramine clinical trials clofibrate compound coronary heart disease cortisone Crestor Dilantin discovered doses drug company drug discovery drug firm drug industry efficacy Endo’s enzyme FDA approved fibrates Framingham heart attacks HMG-CoA reductase hormone human inhibitor initially isolated laboratory later LDL cholesterol LDL-cholesterol levels Lescol lesterol lipid Lipitor liver Lopid lovastatin lowering cholesterol Merck metabolism Mevacor mevastatin mg/dL molecule Newton nicotinic acid Nobel Norvasc Parke-Davis patients penicillin Pfizer pharmaceutical phase physicians plaque Pravachol pyrrole rabbits Ranbaxy rats receptor reduce resins risk factor Roth Roth’s safety profile Sankyo scientists side effects simvastatin Sliskovic statins streptomycin synthesis tested Tishler torcetrapib toxicity trade name treatment triparanol University Vagelos Vytorin Warner-Lambert Woodward Zetia Zocor