Malaria takes a great toll on human health and well-being, particularly in tropical regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania and parts of the Americas. In recent years, some Plasmodium strains have become increasingly resistant to all classes of conventional antimalarial drugs currently in use. Researchers have, therefore, stepped up efforts to revise atimalarial drug policies, develop new drugs, and implement new strategies to combat this disease. In order to prevent widespread resistance, antimalarial combination therapies (ACTs) have been deployed and a World Antimalarial Resistance Network has been established as a means of anitimalarial drug resistance surveillance. Artemisinin-based combination therapies have proven to be useful as a replacement for standard regimens. Currently, these ACTs successfully cure patients suffering from uncomplicated malaria with superior efficacy and lower toxicity, but there remains a huge challenge (high mortality rate) associated with treatment of severe malaria. Studies of drug disposition and drug efficacy (PK/PD evaluations) are essential to understanding why drugs work as antimalarials as they illustrate issues with drug resistance, drug safety and drug toxicity that are critical to finding the appropriate drug dose for patients. This eBook illustrates how currently available combination antimalarial drugs can be optimized for effective malaria treatment. Chapters in this book explain methods to select combination drugs based on PK/PD evaluations followed by methods o reduce drug toxicity based on these evaluations. The book also summarizes efforts that are being made by the research community to improve ACT. It is, therefore, a handy reference for medical professionals and pharmacologists working on antimalarial drugs.

This comprehensive review provides a systematic, unbiased analysis, critique and summary of the available literature and generates novel clinical decision-making algorithms which can aid clinicians and scientists in practice management and research development. Potential mechanisms for the identified drug interactions are deduced from available preclinical and in vitro data which are interpreted in the context of the in vivo findings. Current limitations and gaps in the literature are summarized, and potential future research directions / experimentations are also suggested. In addition to the main objective to review the available clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions associated with WHO-recommended antimalarial drugs on the market today (i.e. chloroquine, amodiaquine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, mefloquine, artemisinin, artemether, artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, artemotil, lumefantrine, primaquine, atovaquone, proguanil, piperaquine and quinine), this book also provides succinct chapter summaries on the epidemiology of malaria infection, diagnosis and therapeutics, in vivo pharmacology and chemistry, preclinical pharmacology, in vitro pharmacodynamics, in vitro reaction phenotyping, and in vitro drug-drug interaction data associated with the identified antimalarial drugs.

Clinically-focussed, with easily accessible tables and chapter summaries suitable for clinicians and researchers, this comprehensive book provides a systematic, critical evaluation of the current literature. An updated clinical decision-making algorithm specifically tailored to the antiretroviral drugs is also provided. The identified interactions are interpreted in the context of known mechanisms derived from clinical, preclinical, and in vitro data. The clinical relevance of the interactions is systematically evaluated and gaps in literature discussed in the context of potential future experiments. In addition to the comprehensive summary of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions associated with WHO-recommended antiretroviral drugs on the market today (i.e. nucleotide reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors), this book also provides detailed section summaries on the epidemiology of HIV infection, diagnosis and pharmacotherapy, basic pharmacology of the individual antiretrovirals, pertinent pre-clinical and in vitro molecular pharmacology, and in vitro drug interaction data available in the literature today.

Each year, malaria kills almost half a million people despite the fact that it is a preventable and curable disease. Malaria has a direct correlation with economic loss due to the need for people to take time off work and the cost of hospital treatments. Undertaking decisive measures to combat malaria is necessary. This book aims to present current approaches in the treatment of malaria. It will be a guide to those working in malaria-endemic regions and cover both diagnosis and treatment. It will also be useful for medical workers in western countries where malaria is not as common. Considering that malaria causes morbidity and mortality, more especially among children below five years of age and pregnant mothers, it is therefore imperative that people from all walks of life should join hands to address this public health problem.

The 4th edition of Drug Interactions in Infectious Diseases is being split into two separate volumes – “Mechanisms and Models of Drug Interactions” and “Antimicrobial Drug Interactions”. This volume, “Antimicrobial Drug Interactions,” delivers a quick clinical resource that distills relevant drug interactions by antimicrobial drug class. The book provides informative tables on specific drug-drug interactions that include the degree and severity of the expected interaction. A mechanistic basis for drug-drug interactions is also provided to link observed interactions to pharmacologic characteristics of key drug classes. This complete resource is organized by major antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antimalarial, and antiprotozoal class. In line with current innovations in antimicrobial drug development, a distinct chapter on the pharmacologic management of drug interactions in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related infections is included. Two new chapters are dedicated to the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug-drug interactions given the breadth of antiretroviral class-specific effects. This comprehensive review of known drug interactions and strategies to manage them is an invaluable resource to all health care practitioners.

Kucers’ The Use of Antibiotics is the definitive, internationally-authored reference, providing everything that the infectious diseases specialist and prescriber needs to know about antimicrobials in this vast and rapidly developing field. The much-expanded Seventh Edition comprises 4800 pages in 3 volumes in order to cover all new and existing therapies, and emerging drugs not yet fully licensed. Concentrating on the treatment of infectious diseases, the content is divided into four sections - antibiotics, anti-fungal drugs, anti-parasitic drugs, and anti-viral drugs - and is highly structured for ease of reference. Each chapter is organized in a consistent format, covering susceptibility, formulations and dosing (adult and pediatric), pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, toxicity, and drug distribution, with detailed discussion regarding clinical uses - a feature unique to this title. Compiled by an expanded team of internationally renowned and respected editors, with expert contributors representing Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, the US, and Canada, the Seventh Edition adopts a truly global approach. It remains invaluable for anyone using antimicrobial agents in their clinical practice and provides, in a systematic and concise manner, all the information required when prescribing an antimicrobial to treat infection.

'I am unaware of any textbook which provides such comprehensive coverage of the field and doubt that this work will be surpassed in the foreseeable future, if ever!' From the foreword by Robert C. Moellering, Jr., M.D, Shields Warren-Mallinckrodt Professor of Medical Research, Harvard Medical School, USA Kucers' The Use of Antibiotics is the leading major reference work in this vast and rapidly developing field. More than doubled in length compared to the fifth edition, the sixth edition comprises 3000 pages over 2-volumes in order to cover all new and existing therapies, and emerging drugs not yet fully licensed. Concentrating on the treatment of infectious diseases, the content is divided into 4 sections: antibiotics, anti-fungal drugs, anti-parasitic drugs and anti-viral drugs, and is highly structured for ease of reference.Within each section, each chapter is structured to cover susceptibility, formulations and dosing (adult and paediatric), pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, toxicity and drug distribution, detailed discussion regarding clinical uses, a feature unique to this title. Compiled by an expanded team of internationally renowned and respected editors, with a vast number of contributors spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, the US and Canada, the sixth edition adopts a truly global approach. It will remain invaluable for anyone using antimicrobial agents in their clinical practice and provides in a systematic and concise manner all the information required when treating infections requiring antimicrobial therapy. Kucers' The Use of Antibiotics is available free to purchasers of the books as an electronic version on line or on your desktop: It provides access to the entire 2-volume print material It is fully searchable, so you can find the relevant information you need quickly Live references are linked to PubMed referring you to the latest journal material Customise the contents - you can highlight sections and make notes Comments can be shared with colleagues/tutors for discussion, teaching and learning The text can also be reflowed for ease of reading Text and illustrations copied will be automatically referenced to Kucers' The Use of Antibiotics

Finding effective methods for mosquito control remains one of the great global challenges facing this generation. Bio-mathematics, Statistics and Nano-Technologies: Mosquito Control Strategies brings together experts from a large array of disciplines in order to provide a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge techniques to model, analyse and combat mosquito-transmitted vector-borne diseases. Features Includes multiple case studies Suitable for scientists and professionals working on methods for mosquito control and epidemiology Provide a much-needed focal point for interdisciplinary discussion

This completely updated and expanded 2nd edition of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, A Manual includes topics not covered previously with contributors who are at the forefront of each specific topic and with a global appeal. Each chapter is short and is presented critically with selected references, which should be valuable to a wider audience. This book combines basic with clinical science to help internists and specialists in the diagnosis and management of patients with SLE. It is a quick referral for people in the pharmaceutical industry in their efforts to bring much-needed drugs. It provides all the needed information to basic researchers old and new alike, who wish to enter the field of lupus and systemic autoimmunity in general. - Focused state-of-the-art chapters prepared by top-notch experts in the field - Latest understanding of cellular, molecular, biochemical aspects of disease pathogenesis - Advanced aspects of genetic, microbiome, environmental, hormonal, and immunological contribution to the expression of the disease - Current understanding of clinical features of the disease - Recent efforts to develop new treatments