Triumph of the Heart The Story of Statins [Hardcover]

Over 25 million people in the U.S. alone have benefited from statins--such drugs as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, Pravachol, and other cholesterol-lowering medicines--in preventing stroke, heart attack, and other forms of coronary heart disease. But how did these remarkable, life-saving drugs come into being? InTriumph of the Heart, Dr. Jie Jack Li, a medicinal chemist and expert on drug discovery, tells for the first time the fascinating story of statins. Drawn from discussions with many scientists involved in the discovery and development of these drugs, the book illuminates the human side of science by revealing the role played by persistence, luck, and sudden insight that characterize major discoveries. For scientists in the drug industry, health care professionals, students of medicine, and all those intrigued by the basic human drive to explore and discover,Triumph of the Heartoffers a compelling view of one of the most important drug discoveries of our time.

Prologue
1. Cholesterol
2. Genesis of Statins
3. Merck's Triumph
4. Discovery of Lipitor
5. Development of Lipitor
6. To Market, To Market
7. Baycol, Crestor, and Drugs beyond Statins
8. Reflections
Appendix
Trademarks of the Drugs
Bibliography and Notes
Index

InTriumph of the Heart, Jie Jack Li tells the fascinating story of statins, from the discovery and development of these drugs to their clinical application...Triumph of the Heartis recommended for those who are intrigued by the drive to explore and discover. --New England Journal of Medicine

Trumph of the Heartprovides documentation of some of the oral history of the story behind the story of statin development. The depiction of the champions of this important undertaking affirms their critical contributions to lowering cardiovascular morbidity and mortallӤ