in their novel approach to drug discovery, maxwell and eckhardt explore their thesis that the discovery of new drugs-especially of innovative therapeutic agents-is an independent dynamic process that demands the full attention of researchers, rather than a spontaneous consequence of investigative research. faced with a dearth of quantitative information on how and where innovative drugs were discovered, the authors have developed considerable quantitative data about this process in order to provide a deeper understanding of its true nature. drug discovery: a casebook and analysis offers a unique quantitative survey of research since world war ii that led to the development of 32 innovative therapeutic agents. factual and concise, each chapter presents a review of the original scientific contributions associated with the discovery of a specific drug. these chapters are followed by a computer analysis of important variables and finally by an interpretation. drug categories discussed include: ? cardiovascular and renal (including renal transplantation) ? psychiatric ? neurological ? rheumatological ? anesthesiological ? pulmonary ? gastrointestinal. everyone interested in the basic or clinical research leading to important drugs-and the institutional interplay inherent in the process-will find drug discovery: a casebook and analysis a comprehensive, invaluable reference compendium!