The pharmaceutical industry is unquestionably vibrant today, with drug synthesis making a vital contribution. Whether in the early developmental stages of identifying and optimizing a lead, or the latter stages of process development and cost-effective scale-up, the ability to design elegant and economical synthetic routes is often a major factor in the eventual viability and commercial success of a drug.

Contemporary Drug Synthesis examines how leading researchers and manufacturers have integrated chemistry, biology, pharmacokinetics, and a host of other disciplines in the creation and development of leading drugs.

Authored by four of the pharmaceutical industry's most respected scientists, this timely volume:

• Focuses on the processes that resulted in high-profile drugs including Lipitor, Celebrex, Viagra, Gleevec, Nexium, Claritin, and over a dozen others
• Provides an in-depth introduction to each drug, followed by a detailed account of its synthesis
• Organizes the drugs into fourteen therapeutic areas for clarity and ease of use