Editing Small molecule (section)

==Drugs==
{{further|Pharmaceutical drug|Targeted therapy}}
Most pharmaceuticals are small molecules, although some drugs can be proteins (e.g., [[insulin]] and other [[biologic medical product]]s). With the exception of [[Monoclonal antibody therapy|therapeutic antibodies]], many proteins are degraded if administered orally and most often cannot cross [[cell membrane]]s. Small molecules are more likely to be absorbed, although some of them are only absorbed after oral administration if given as [[prodrug]]s. One advantage that '''small molecule drugs''' (SMDs) have over "large molecule" [[biologic medical product|biologics]] is that many small molecules can be taken orally whereas biologics generally require injection or another [[parenteral]] administration.<ref name="Ganellin_2013">{{cite book | author = Samanen J |veditors=Ganellin CR, Jefferis R, Roberts SM | title = Introduction to Biological and Small Molecule Drug Research and Development: theory and case studies | edition = Kindle | publisher = Academic Press | location = New York | year = 2013 | pages = 161–203| quote = Table 5.13: Route of Administration: Small Molecules: oral administration usually possible; Biomolecules: Usually administered parenterally | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=342JY314Fl4C&q=small+molecule+vs+biologics+oral&pg=PA187 | isbn = 978-0-12-397176-0 | chapter = Chapter 5.2 How do SMDs differ from biomolecular drugs? | doi = 10.1016/B978-0-12-397176-0.00005-4 }}</ref> Small molecule drugs are also typically simpler to manufacture and cheaper for the purchaser. A downside is that not all targets are amenable to modification with small-molecule drugs; bacteria and [[cancers]] are often resistant to their effects.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ngo |first1=Huy X. |last2=Garneau-Tsodikova |first2=Sylvie |title=What are the drugs of the future? |journal=MedChemComm |date=23 April 2018 |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=757–758 |doi=10.1039/c8md90019a |pmid=30108965 |pmc=6072476 |issn=2040-2503}}</ref>