Medicinal chemistry draws on the disciplines of chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology and pharmacology, and students new to this subject often have little knowledge of these fields. This lively, highly illustrated text provides undergraduate and postgraduate students with an accessible introduction to medicinal chemistry. It covers basic principles and background, and then describes the general tactics and strategies employed in developing an effective drug. Through the use of numerous examples it highlights both the difficulties faced by the medicinal chemist and the great power and potential of rational drug design.