Book excerpt: This first book specifically dedicated to ectoparasite drug discovery is unique in providing insights from the veterinary as well as the medical perspective, covering research from both industry and academia while paving the way for new synergies between the two research communities. Edited by a team combining 80 years of experience in academic research and industrial antiparasitic drug discovery, this volume of Drug Discovery in Infectious Diseases summarizes current knowledge in this rapidly expanding field. Comprehensive yet concise, this ready reference blends solid background information on ectoparasite biology with the very latest methods in ectoparasite drug discovery. Three major parts cover current ectoparasite control strategies and the threat of drug resistance, screening and drug evaluation, and the new isoxazoline class of ectoparasiticides. The future potential of mechanism-based approaches for repellents and parasiticides is thoroughly discussed, as are strategies for vaccines against ectoparasites, making the book ideal for parasitologists in academia as well as researchers working in the pharmaceutical industry.