Ntambwe Malangu

metabolism is a key step that achieves two major objectives: firstly, in transforming a nonactive substance or prodrug into active metabolites, it helps in the elicitation of the pharma‐ codynamic action of the drug, and, secondly, in transforming an active drug into inactive hydrosoluble metabolites, it helps in facilitating the elimination of the drug from the body, thereby preventing accumulation that may result in unwanted or adverse effects. This chap‐

Chapter 6 describes the side effects of glucocorticoids; this chapter illustrates how some drugs produce several adverse effects that affect several organs and systems in the body. Glucocorticoids are a classic example of how the usefulness of certain drugs is counterbal‐ anced by high risks associated with their use. The sheer extent of the range of side and ad‐ verse effects from glucocorticoids is a reminder on how narrow the therapeutic window is and why clinicians and patients should be vigilant in monitoring untoward effects of drugs. Chapter 7 provides an update on the side effects of new antidepressants. Having been hailed as better than the old antidepressants, this review on new antidepressants demon‐ strates how pharmacokinetic parameters played an important role in the discovery of some

ter proposes an approach and a scale that could be used for identifying liver toxicity.

of these new antidepressants and also how they affect the spread of adverse effects.

clinical research, drug discovery, and development.

Pharmacy (Craiova, Galati, and Iasi) in Romania.

from IntechOpen®.

VIII Preface

As a whole, this book, as a fruit from the collaborative work from several international sci‐ entists, will be a useful resource for researchers, students, and clinicians. Each individual chapter could serve as a prescribed reading for postgraduate students and clinicians special‐ izing in and practicing clinical pharmacology and toxicology, pharmacotherapy and phar‐ macotherapeutics, pharmacovigilance, and toxicovigilance, as well as those involved in

It is with a heart full of gratitude that I present to you the team of international scientists who contributed to this volume: Drs. Katherine Dunnington, Natacha Benrimoh, Christine Brandquist, Nadia Cardillo-Marricco, Mike Di Spirito, and Julie Grenier from Celerion, a premier Clinical Research Organization, Nebraska, USA; Dr. Kai On Chu and Prof. Calvin Pang from the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Dr. Yuki Murakami from Doshisha Uni‐ versity, Kyoto, Japan, and Dr. Yukio Imamura from Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Irmak Sayın Alan and Bahadır Alan from the Medical Faculty of Okan Uni‐ versity, Istanbul, Turkey; Alejandra Cano Paniagua and Pedro Amariles from the Research Group on Pharmaceutical Prevention and Promotion, University of Antioquia, Colombia; and Drs. Maria Bogdan, Eliza Gofita, Daniela Cornelia Calina, Adina Turcu-Stiolica, Anca Oana Docea, Tudor Adrian Balseanu, Adrian Camen, Gratiela Eliza Popa, Gabriela Rusu, Ina Cristofor, Liliana Pavel, and Liliana Mititelu-Tartau from the University of Medicine and

Finally, I thank and pass the baton to my three sons, David, Daniel, and Miraciel, whose quality time was diverted to edit this book. Furthermore, I salute and acknowledge the ma‐ jor role played by Marina Dusevic as well as the publishing, production, and editorial teams

**Professor Ntambwe Malangu**

Pretoria, South Africa

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Ntambwe MalanguAdditional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76511
