Book excerpt: Building on the success of the previous editions, Textbook of Drug Design and Discovery has been thoroughly revised and updated to provide a complete source of information on all facets of drug design and discovery for students of chemistry, pharmacy, pharmacology, biochemistry, and medicine. The book follows drug design from the initial lead identification through optimization and structure-activity relationship with reference to the final processes of clinical evaluation and registration. Chapters investigate the design of enzyme inhibitors and drugs for particular cellular targets such as ion channels and receptors, and also explore specific classes of drug such as peptidomimetics, antivirals and anticancer agents. The use of gene technology in pharmaceutical research, computer modeling techniques, and combinatorial approaches are also included.