Preface
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 August 2009
Summary
In 1991, Jim Metzger and I edited a volume called Drugs and the Lung. A decade on, we thought that sufficient new information had been obtained to warrant a new book and this volume reflects the culmination of a considerable effort of many individuals including my new co-editors Dom Spina and Brian O'Connor, plus all the contributing authors. Lung diseases still represent a considerable burden to the healthcare system globally and have significant impact on the socio-economic situation in many countries around the world. The incidence of asthma continues to rise in many western countries with no cure in sight. Furthermore, tuberculosis, pulmonary infections and COPD are far from optimally controlled and not surprisingly therefore, there continues to be a considerable amount of interest in the development of novel therapies for a wider range of lung diseases. Perhaps, just as importantly, continual appraisal of optimal use of existing therapies continues with guidelines for the treatment of asthma and COPD now being commonplace in many western societies. This book represents a comprehensive collection of chapters regarding the current status of a wide range of drugs in use for the treatment of lung diseases, as well as providing an excellent overview of the many new drug classes under development. We have tried to ensure that, where possible, all chapters have a bias towards clinical information about drugs, but drawing on information from in vitro and animal studies where appropriate.
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- Drugs for the Treatment of Respiratory Diseases , pp. xi - xiiPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003