Table 1.

How small molecules address a ‘wish list’ for an everyday therapy.

Attribute
Low molecular weight	Helps to ensure high levels of oral absorption, as well as reproducible interdosing exposure and pharmacokinetic profiles without the use of absorption enhancers
Physical chemistry	Commensurate with desired absorption, distribution within the extracellular space, drug metabolism and drug elimination properties
Chemical structure	Minimizes any undue drug metabolism of the drug in vivo
Pharmacology	Selectivity for the pharmacological target vs non‐specific, or off‐target, activity
Pharmacy	Formulation as a tablet as either the individual component or a constituent part of a fixed‐dose combination with commonly co‐administered agents (e.g. metformin, SGLT2i)
Efficacy	Effective glucose lowering in comparison with alternative agents
Potency	Effective glucose lowering at reasonable dose levels

SGLT2i, sodium–glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitor.