Living in Eagan, Minnesota, Evan August Weitz earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. Evan August Weitz has completed research in numerous areas of chemistry, with small molecule pharmaceuticals being one area of interest.
A small-molecule pharmaceutical, or drug, can be defined as any organic compound that is able to affect a biological process. To be classified as a small molecule, a drug must weigh less than 900 daltons. A dalton is comparable in weight to a proton or neutron, with one carbon atom weighing as much as 12 daltons. Therefore, anything greater than 900 daltons is considered a big molecule drug.
Besides their weight, the main difference between these two types of drugs is the administration methods available. Small molecule drugs are almost exclusively given in pill form, which is due to their overall simplicity and size. Big molecule drugs may have to be given via injection, which requires a more complex process.
Today roughly 90 percent of all pharmaceuticals are small-molecule, as they are much more cost-effective to produce, and they also have a more defined chemical structure.
Evan A. Weitz 
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