This Second Edition covers exciting progress recently made with individual drugs and includes a special chapter on the impact of molecular biology on drug design. Other additions to the Second Edition include structure-activity relationships, the role of molecular biology in drug discovery, and drug access and prodrugs. Written for students considering a research career in drug development, this volume is conveniently divided into two parts. The first half introduces readers to the mechanisms of action of drugs and the approaches adopted in designing new drugs. The second half contains chapters written by the discoverers or developers of individual successful drugs who trace the history of the drugs to the present day.