text: Most pharmaceuticals are small molecules, although some drugs can be proteins (e.g., insulin and other biologic medical products). With the exception of therapeutic antibodies, many proteins are degraded if administered orally and most often cannot cross cell membranes. Small molecules are more likely to be absorbed, although some of them are only absorbed after oral administration if given as prodrugs. One advantage that small molecule drugs (SMDs) have over "large molecule" biologics is that many small molecules can be taken orally whereas biologics generally require injection or another parenteral administration. 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.