Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry has become increasingly interested in biologics from animal venoms as a potential source for therapeutic agents in recent years, with a particularly emphasis on peptides. To date six drugs derived from venom peptides or proteins have been approved by the FDA, with nine further agents currently being investigated in clinical trials. In addition to these drugs in approved or advanced stages of development, many more peptides and proteins are being studied in varying stages of preclinical development. This unique book provides an up to date and comprehensive account of the potential of peptides and proteins from animal venoms as possible therapeutics. Topics covered include chemistry and structural biology of animal venoms, proteomic and transcriptomic approaches to drug discovery, bioassays, high-throughput screens and target identification, and reptile, scorpion, spider and cone snail venoms as a platform for drug development. Case studies are used to illustrate methods and successes and highlight issues surrounding administration and other important lessons that have been learnt from the development of approved therapeutics based on venoms. The first text to focus on this fascinating area and bridging an important gap, this book provides the reader with essential and current knowledge on this fast-developing area. Venoms to Drugs will find wide readership with researchers working in academia and industry working in all medicinal and pharmaceutical areas.

Professor Glenn King has been working on animal venoms since 1996.He has extensive experience in the discovery, production, and structural and functional characterization of venom proteins, and is intimately aware of the issues surrounding their development as drugs and insecticides. In 2006,Professor King founded an agricultural biotechnology company, Vestaron Corporation, that is developing spider-venom peptides discovered in the lab as bioinsecticides.His current research is largely focussed on the development of venom peptides as analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain.