Raimar Loebenberg, PhD, Director DDIC

Area of Study / Keywords

ivivc dissolution PBPK biopharmaceutics nanoparticle

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About

Bio

Dr. Löbenberg holds a BSc in Pharmacy from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt (1996). His doctoral research focused on nanoparticles as drug carriers. He completed postdoctoral research under Prof. J.B. Dressman on FDA-sponsored projects addressing dissolution behavior and in vitro–in vivo correlations. He joined the University of Alberta in 2000 and is currently Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

His research interests are in mechanistic biopharmaceutics, with a focus on predicting oral drug performance, including BCS-based biowaivers, biorelevant dissolution, lysosomal trapping, and intestinal lymphatic uptake, as well as inhalable nanoparticle systems for pulmonary delivery of anticancer and anti-infective drugs.

He is the Founder and Director of the Drug Development and Innovation Centre (DDIC) at the University of Alberta, a GMP-licensed translational research facility supporting formulation development, performance testing, clinical trial materials, and regulatory-aligned product development.

He served as President of the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS) in 2014–2015 and Past President in 2016–2017.

He is Chair of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Expert Committee on Dietary Supplements (2025–2030), following service as Interim Chair (2024–2025) and Vice Chair (2020–2024). He has also participated in multiple USP Expert Committees on performance testing and dosage forms, contributing directly to revisions of USP standards.

He is Vice Chair of the Specialty Committee of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Pharmaceutics of the World Foundation of Chinese Medicine Science and has served in this role for over a decade.

He is a long-standing member (2012–2024) of Health Canada’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacology and has chaired and served on reconsideration panels and advisory groups, including opioid abuse deterrence and medical cannabis.

He has held multiple industry leadership roles, including Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of RS Therapeutics Inc.

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Research

Inhalable Nanoparticles for Pulmonary Drug Delivery of Anti-Cancer Drugs

This interdisciplinary research involves Engineering, Medicine, and Pharmacy. The initial publication received the Most-Cited Paper Award from the International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2004). This work led to multiple issued patents and international patent families and demonstrated superior therapeutic efficacy of pulmonary delivery compared with systemic administration.

BCS-Based In Vitro / In Vivo Correlations and Predictive Biopharmaceutics

This research earned the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) New Investigator Award (2001). It has resulted in over two decades of publications, international workshops, and regulatory engagement, including FDA–AAPS, USP, and global outreach programs.

Current work extends these models to lysosomal trapping and lymphatic uptake, enabling mechanistic prediction of formulation-dependent bioavailability and first-pass metabolism avoidance.

Quality by Design (QbD) and Performance Testing

Our work has been published in The AAPS Journal and related journals and presented internationally. This research directly contributed to revisions of USP disintegration testing specifications, reflecting global regulatory impact.

Formulation Development and Novel Processes

USP-sponsored work demonstrated that blending sequence can alter tablet dissolution and clinical performance. We developed a microemulsion-based topical diclofenac formulation, which showed substantial pain relief in early clinical assessments and >50% pain reduction in osteoarthritis patients within 28 days.

This formulation is commercialized as FoamaDerm® in Canada and the United States, and a USP monograph (Diclofenac Sodium Compounded Topical Foam) was sponsored and accepted for publication, with full implementation in 2026.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Natural Health Products

DDIC conducts modern, evidence-based development of TCM and Natural Health Products, supporting clinical trials, regulatory submissions, and commercialization in multiple jurisdictions.

Medical Cannabis and Psychedelic Drugs

The laboratory holds multiple Health Canada licenses, including Controlled Substances, Cannabis Research, Drug Establishment, and Class A Precursor licenses.

We develop non-smoked dosage forms for medical cannabis and psychedelic compounds, including oral film strips, and are licensed to supply psilocybin and MDMA capsules under Health Canada’s Special Access Program (SAP).

Specialized Routes of Administration: Lysosomal and Lymphatic Uptake

Our group developed the first lysosomal dissolution model to simulate intracellular sequestration of basic drugs. We also developed the first in vitro dissolution method capable of screening formulations for lymphatic drug uptake, a critical pathway for lipid-based formulations that bypass first-pass metabolism.

Nasal Drug Delivery

Our group published the first physiologically relevant simulated nasal fluid and is developing nasal dissolution and permeability models, with applications in vaccines, neurotherapeutics, ketamine, and psychedelic microdosing.

Scholarly Impact 

• Google Scholar:https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=wP6VNfMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

• Stanford–Elsevier “World’s Top 2% Scientists” (top <1%)

• Author of >190 peer-reviewed publications (2026)

• Recipient of the CSPS Leadership Award (2022) and CSPS Fellow (2019)

PHARM 202 - Pharmaceutics 1

Introduces students to the principles of pharmaceutical dosage forms. This course will focus on factors affecting the physical and chemical behavior of drug products, the rationale underlying their formulation, and compounding techniques of pharmaceutical preparations. (Restricted to Pharmacy students.)

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Browse more courses taught by Raimar Loebenberg

Md Harunur Rashid, Matthew J. Williams, Andres Garcia Guerra, Arunporn Itharat, Raimar Loebenberg, Neal M. Davies

Journal of Phytomedicine. 2026 January; 10.3390/jphytomed1010002

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Shengnan Zhao, Jieyu Zuo, Marlon C. Mallillin, III, Nadia Bou-Chacra, Maryam Salami, Tyson S. Le, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2026 January; 10.1016/j.jddst.2026.108084

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Marlon C. Mallillin, Maryam Salami, Omar A. Villalobos, Shengnan Zhao, Sara R. El-Mahrouk, Kirtypal Singh, Michael J. Serpe, Arno G. Siraki, Ayman O. S. El-Kadi, Nadia Bou-Chacra, Raimar Loebenberg, Neal M. Davies

Pharmaceutics. 2026 January; 10.3390/pharmaceutics18020144

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Md Harunur Rashid, Matthew J. Williams, Andres Garcia Guerra, Arunporn Itharat, Raimar Loebenberg, Neal M. Davies

Journal of Phytomedicine. 2025 December; 10.3390/jphytomed1010001

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Molham Sakkal, Ranim W. A. Abdelmoteleb, Aya Al Ali, Yousef A. Bin Jardan, Raimar Löbenberg, Muhammad Sarfraz

Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. 2025 December; 10.1007/s44446-025-00046-y

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Jeongro Lee, Hy Dinh Nguyen, Sura Saad Abdullah, Raimar Löbenberg, Beom-Jin Lee

International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2025 November; 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.126235

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Marlon C. Mallillin III, Roi Martin B. Pajimna, Shengnan Zhao, Maryam Salami, Raimar Loebenberg, Neal M. Davies

Pharmaceutics. 2025 October; 10.3390/pharmaceutics17101303

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Leila Ziaeifar, Maryam Salami, Gholamreza Askari, Zahra Emam-Djomeh, Raimar Loebenberg, Michael J Serpe, Neal M. Davies

Pharmaceutics. 2025 September; 10.3390/pharmaceutics17101247

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Malaz Yousef, Farag E. S. Mosa, Khaled H. Barakat, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Pharmaceutics. 2025 September; 10.3390/pharmaceutics17091228

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Naknarin Suchada, Itharat Arunporn, Wongpoomchai Rawiwan, Panthong Sumalee, Pipatrattanaseree Weerachai, Davies Neal M., Loebenberg Raimar, Taya Sirinya, Phumlek Kalyarut, Intharit Ninnart, Ninlaor Theeraphong, Makchuchit Sunita, Kuropakornpong Pranporn, Pibanpaknitee Phrapaponpatchara, Tantitrakull Wilailuck, Mingmalairak Chatchai

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research. 2025 September; 10.56499/jppres24.2190_13.5.1451

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Malaz Yousef, Jaime A. Yáñez, Raimar Löbenberg, Neal M. Davies

Biomedicines. 2025 July; 10.3390/biomedicines13081797

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Shengnan Zhao, Jieyu Zuo, Marlon C. Mallillin, III, Ruikun Tang, Michael R. Doschak, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Pharmaceuticals. 2025 June; 10.3390/ph18060889

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Shengnan Zhao, Yuanheng Zhao, Jieyu Zuo, Tyson S. Le, Jeerakit Kerdsiri, Neti Waranuch, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2025 June; 10.1016/j.jddst.2025.106959

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Shakila Meshkat, Huda Al-Shamali, Argyrios Perivolaris, Trusha Tullu, Richard J. Zeifman, Yanbo Zhang, Lisa Burback, Olga Winkler, Andrew Greenshaw, Muhammad Ishrat Husain, Amy C. Reichelt, Eric Vermetten, Manish K. Jha, Rakesh Jetly, Raimar Loebenberg, Venkat Bhat

Pharmaceutics. 2025 March; 10.3390/pharmaceutics17040411

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Md Shahbaz Alam, Nikhil Khandale, Devendra Birla, Bushra Bashir, Sukriti Vishwas, Mangesh P. Kulkarni, Rakesh Prakash Rajput, Narendra Kumar Pandey, Raimar Loebenberg, Neal M. Davies, Gaurav Gupta, Harish Dureja, Popat Kumbhar, John Disouza, Puneet Kumar, Kamal Dua, Sachin Kumar Singh

Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2024 December; 10.1016/j.jddst.2024.106385

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Malaz Yousef, Chulhun Park, Nadia Bou Chacra, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

AAPS PharmSciTech. 2024 August; 10.1208/s12249-024-02866-y

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Malaz Yousef, Jaime A. Yáñez, Raimar Löbenberg, Neal M. Davies

Biomedicines. 2024 August; 10.3390/biomedicines12081843

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Malaz Yousef, Conor O’Croinin, Tyson S. Le, Chulhun Park, Jieyu Zuo, Nadia Bou Chacra, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Pharmaceutics. 2024 June; 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060768

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Eakkaluk Wongwad, Kornkanok Ingkaninan, Neti Waranuch, Chulhun Park, Vijay Somayaji, Nat Na-Ek, Raimar Löbenberg

Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2024 June; 10.1016/j.jddst.2024.105697

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Aline de Souza, Cauê Benito Scarim, Paulo Cesar Cotrim, Fernando Barbosa Junior, Bruno Alves Rocha, Leandro Augusto Calixto, Cristiano Jesus Correia, Gabriel Lima de Barros Araújo, Raimar Löbenberg, Nádia Araci Bou-Chacra, Ana Cristina Breithaupt-Faloppa

Nanomedicine. 2024 February; 10.2217/nnm-2023-0263

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Luca Maurice Richter, Jozef Al-Gousous, Gabriel Lima Barros de Araujo, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2024 February; 10.1016/j.jddst.2023.105305

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Megumi Nishitani Yukuyama, Aline de Souza, Mirla Anali Bazán Henostroza, Gabriel Lima Barros de Araujo, Raimar Löbenberg, Rafael de Oliveira Faria, Gabriel Batista de Souza, Lara Mendes Ferreira Guimaraes, Claudiana Lameu, Beatriz Rabelo Folchini, Camilla Midori Peroni, Isabela Fernandes Oliveira, Mariana Yasue Saito Miyagi, Nádia Araci Bou-Chacra

Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2023 November; 10.1016/j.jddst.2023.105017

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Malaz Yousef, Chulhun Park, Mirla Henostroza, Nadia Bou Chacra, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Pharmaceutics. 2023 October; 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112532

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Chulhun Park, Jieyu Zuo, Myung-Chul Gil, Raimar Löbenberg, Beom-Jin Lee

Pharmaceutics. 2023 October; 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112533

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Conor O’Croinin, Andres Garcia Guerra, Michael R. Doschak, Raimar Löbenberg, Neal M. Davies

Pharmaceutics. 2023 July; 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071941

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Nicolas Van Bavel, Patrick Lai, Raimar Loebenberg, Elmar J Prenner

Nanomedicine. 2022 December; 10.2217/nnm-2022-0232

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Jaskiran Kaur, Monica Gulati, Flavia Zacconi, Harish Dureja, Raimar Loebenberg, Md Salahuddin Ansari, Othman AlOmeir, Aftab Alam, Dinesh Kumar Chellappan, Gaurav Gupta, Niraj Kumar Jha, Terezinha de Jesus Andreoli Pinto, Andrew Morris, Yahya E. Choonara, Jon Adams, Kamal Dua, Sachin Kumar Singh

Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery. 2022 July; 10.1080/17425247.2022.2087629

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Daniela Amaral Silva, M. Kenneth Cor, Afaseneh Lavasanifar, Neal M. Davies, Raimar Löbenberg

Pharmacy Education. 2022 May; 10.46542/pe.2022.221.336347

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Richard H. Parrish, II, Lisa D. Ashworth, Raimar Löbenberg, Sandra Benavides, Jeffrey J. Cies, Robert B. MacArthur

Pharmaceutics. 2022 May; 10.3390/pharmaceutics14051032

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Nicolas van Bavel, Patrick Lai, Raimar Loebenberg, Elmar J Prenner

Nanomedicine. 2022 May; 10.2217/nnm-2021-0398

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Braa Hajjar, Jieyu Zuo, Chulhun Park, Shirzad Azarmi, Daniela Amaral Silva, Nádia Araci Bou-Chacra, Raimar Löbenberg

AAPS PharmSciTech. 2022 May; 10.1208/s12249-022-02258-0

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Kamal Dua, Raimar Lobenberg, Dinesh Kumar Chellappan

Nanomedicine. 2022 May; 10.2217/nnm-2022-0165

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Megumi Nishitani Yukuyama, Kelly Ishida, Gabriel Lima Barros de Araujo, Cristina de Castro Spadari, Aline de Souza, Raimar Löbenberg, Mirla Anali Bazán Henostroza, Beatriz Rabelo Folchini, Camilla Midori Peroni, Maria Christina Camasmie Peters, Isabela Fernandes de Oliveira, Mariana Yasue Saito Miyagi, Nádia Araci Bou-Chacra

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects. 2021 December; 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.127631

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Yinghan Chan, Parteek Prasher, Raimar Löbenberg, Gaurav Gupta, Sachin Kumar Singh, Brian G Oliver, Dinesh Kumar Chellappan, Kamal Dua

Nanomedicine. 2021 April; 10.2217/nnm-2021-0056

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Meenu Mehta, Keshav Raj Paudel, Nisha Panth, Dikaia Xenaki, Ronan Macloughlin, Brian G Oliver, Raimar Lobenberg, Philip M Hansbro, Dinesh Kumar Chellappan, Kamal Dua

Nanomedicine. 2021 March; 10.2217/nnm-2021-0016

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Jieyu Zuo, Chulhun Park, Janice Yu Chen Kung, Nádia Araci Bou-Chacra, Michael Doschak, Raimar Löbenberg

Pharmaceutical Research. 2021 February; 10.1007/s11095-021-03007-x

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Daniela Amaral Silva, Neal M. Davies, Michael R. Doschak, Jozef Al-Gousous, Nadia Bou-Chacra, Raimar Löbenberg

Journal of Controlled Release. 2020 September; 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.06.031

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Daniela Amaral Silva, Jozef Al-Gousous, Neal M. Davies, Nadia Bou Chacra, Gregory K. Webster, Elke Lipka, Gordon L. Amidon, Raimar Löbenberg

Pharmaceutics. 2020 May; 10.3390/pharmaceutics12050420

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Jieyu Zuo, Wugang Zhang, Hui Jian, Nádia Bou-Chacra, Raimar Löbenberg

Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2020 January; 10.1590/s2175-97902019000417827

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Jieyu Zuo, Hongming He, Zhengyun Zuo, Nádia Bou-Chacra, Raimar Löbenberg

Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2018 January; 10.1111/jphp.12840

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Dissolution Technologies. 2015 January; 10.14227/DT220115P17

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AAPS PharmSciTech. 2014 January; 10.1208/s12249-014-0241-5

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BioMed Research International. 2014 January; 10.1155/2014/204925

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AAPS PharmSciTech. 2014 January; 10.1208/s12249-014-0133-8

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Dissolution Technologies. 2013 January; 10.14227/DT200413P6

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Therapeutic Delivery. 2012 January; 10.4155/tde.12.42

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Molecular Pharmaceutics. 2012 January; 10.1021/mp200162b

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AAPS Journal. 2012 January; 10.1208/s12248-012-9350-9

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Dissolution Technologies. 2011 January;

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Journal of Controlled Release. 2011 January; 10.1016/j.jconrel.2010.10.035

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AAPS Journal. 2010 January; 10.1208/s12248-010-9202-4

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Dissolution Technologies. 2010 January;

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AAPS Journal. 2010 January; 10.1208/s12248-010-9221-1

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European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 2010 January; 10.1016/j.ejpb.2010.05.002

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European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 2009 January; 10.1016/j.ejpb.2008.10.019

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Pharmaceutical Research. 2008 January; 10.1007/s11095-008-9642-z

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Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy. 2008 January; 10.1080/03639040802149079

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European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 2008 January; 10.1016/j.ejpb.2008.01.026

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AAPS PharmSciTech. 2007 January; 10.1208/pt0803078

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European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 2007 January; 10.1016/j.ejpb.2006.10.021

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Thermochimica Acta. 2007 January; 10.1016/j.tca.2007.11.008

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International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2007 January; 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2006.10.001

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International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2007 January; 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2007.08.045

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Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2006 January;

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International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2006 January; 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2006.03.052

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European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2006 January; 10.1016/j.ejps.2006.05.004

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International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2004 January; 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2003.09.041

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European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 2000 January; 10.1016/S0939-6411(00)00091-6

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Pharmaceutical Research. 2000 January; 10.1023/A:1007529020774

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AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. 1996 January;

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Proceedings of the Controlled Release Society. 1995 January;

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