Introduction: A welcome to the first special animal health issue of AAPS PharmSci

Abstract

One may ask, "Would the human pharmaceutical development benefit from interaction/harmonization with the veterinary health counterpart?" The answer lies, at least in part, in the similarity of certain disease conditions and the opportunity to explore the impact of species-specific physiological differences on the correlations between drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Such comparisons can provide the human heath scientist with a rich appreciation of the impact of numerous variables on product safety and effectiveness. With this in mind, we have asked Prof Pierre-Louis Toutain to review ongoing research efforts aimed at understanding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationships supporting veterinary drug development and dose optimization.The goal of this special volume is to provide veterinary scientists with state-of-the art reviews in animal health and to inform human health scientists of the various challenges and collaborative opportunities associated with their animal health counterparts. The contributors are highly respected experts, providing invaluable insights into current issues and state-of-the-art advances within veterinary medicine.