Pharmaco-Complexity: Non-Linear Phenomena and Drug Product Development [Paperback]

The historical approach to the interpretation of physical, chemical and biological phenomena has been to consider relationships with causative factors that can be reduced to linearity allowing simple and direct interpretation. However, it is increasingly evident that there is often more information in the data than linear interpretations allow. The current capacity for computers to assist in identifying non-linear relationships allows greater interpretation of data which illuminates the phenomena allowing the information to be translated into knowledge that can be used wisely to promote various desirable pharmaceutical outcomes. This short volume is intended to stimulate the reader to contemplate research and development areas in which the data might be more accurately interpreted to allow greater understanding and ultimately control of the pharmaceutically complex phenomena.This book is intended to stimulate readers to contemplate research and development areas in which the data might be more accurately interpreted to allow greater understanding and ultimately control of the pharmaceutically complex phenomena.

The interpretation of physical, chemical and biological phenomena as linear relationships between variables, or as simple functions of the variables, has been a significant scientific and mathematical strategy to their elucidation for centuries. It is often the case that the nature of linearity is to follow mathematical functions, e.g. power, exponential or logarithmic functions, nevertheless the desire to fit data to simple predictable expressions is imbued in every scientist and engineer. From a philosophical standpoint there is no reason to criticize this approach as it allows us to interpret the natural world and has a lofty heritage going back to the classical world.

However, non-linear phenomena have been identified in many fields and interpreted as periodic, catastrophic, chaotic or complex involving a variel3