Drugs
Further information: Drug designMost drugs are small molecules, although some drugs can be proteins, e.g. insulin. Many proteins are degraded if administered orally and most often cannot cross the cell membranes. Small molecules are more likely to be absorbed, although some of them are only absorbed after oral administration if given as prodrugs. Small molecules are often considered superior to "large molecule" biologics because they can be taken orally.
Many dietary supplements are small molecules (but not herb extracts, such as ginkgo).
Read more about this topic: Small Molecule
Famous quotes containing the word drugs:
“Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren’t lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.”
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)
“There is not much sense in suffering, since drugs can be given for pain, itching, and other discomforts. The belief has long died that suffering here on earth will be rewarded in heaven. Suffering has lost its meaning.”
—Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (b. 1926)