Drug Formulation, Technology Assessment, and Pharmacokinetics – EVALUAMECO
The characterization of drug release, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) has a major impact on drug development and provides rational criteria for selecting the most appropriate dosage form and route of administration. These factors are particularly important for compounds with bioavailability limitations and/or high pharmacokinetic variability. The group works on the pre-formulation study of drugs and cosmetics, the characterization of in vitro release and absorption from their dosage forms, and the evaluation of the in vivo pharmacokinetic profile, integrating experimental data with pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling to support rational formulation and dosing decisions.
CV Prof. Matilde Merino Sanjuán
Matilde is a Full Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Valencia and Principal Investigator of the EVALUAMECO research group. Her research focuses on pharmacokinetic modelling and simulation to evaluate drug behaviour in the body and optimise dosing regimens. She also studies the factors affecting the equivalence of topical formulations administered through the skin.
Over the last five years, she has participated in seven national and international research projects, serving as Principal Investigator in three of them, including several collaborative R&D&I projects with industry partners. She is the author of more than 100 publications in international scientific journals, as well as 26 books and book chapters.
Research Lines
Biopharmaceutical evaluation of drugs.
Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling.
Physiollogically-based pharmacokinetic modelling.
Highlighted Funding
Aproximación farmacocinética, biofarmacéutica y tecnológica para la optimización de los tratamientos de enfermedades oculares inflamatorias y degenerativas. PID2022-142350OB-C22. Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI). 2023–2027. Virginia Merino Sanjuan.
Evaluación de la estructura interna de formulaciones tópicas semisólidas. CIAICO/2022/170. Generalitat Valenciana (GVA). 2023-2025. Virginia Merino Sanjuan.
Ecosystem for rapid adoption of modelling and simulation METhods to address regulatory needs in the development of orphan and paediatric medicines (ERAMET). 101137141. European Commission – Horizon RIA. 2024-2027.
Estudio SePkLin: ensayo clínico pragmático, multicéntrico, aleatorizado y controlado en pacientes con Sepsis para evaluar la seguridad y eficacia de la dosificación personalizada PK/PD versus dosificación estándar de Linezolid. ICI21/00043. Instituto de Salud Carlos III. 2022-2025.
Medicina Personalizada para la Optimización del Tratamiento Inmunomodulador en Pacientes con Uveítis (MedPOTIV). PI20/00719. Instituto de Salud Carlos III. 2021-2023.
Desarrollo de sistemas biodegradables intraoculares de antiVEGF para el tratamiento de la Degeneración Macular Asociada a la Edad y a Retinopatía Diabetica (IMPLADEM). RTI2018-099597-B-I00. Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI). 2019-2022.
Individualización posológica de Glucocerebrosidadasa en pacientes Gaucher Tipo I. GV/2019/167. Generalitat Valenciana (GVA). 2019-2020. Victor Mangas Sanjuan.
Highlighted Publications
Reig-López, J.; Cuquerella-Gilabert, M.; Zarzoso-Foj, J. et al. Model-Based Design of Sustained-Release Formulations of Anti-TNF-α Monoclonal Antibodies for Intravitreal Administration. Pharmaceutics. 2026. 18(4), 445. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18040445
Mañez-Asensi, A.; Hernández M.J.; Mangas-Sanjuán, V. et al. Impact of shelf-life on the pharmaceutical equivalence assessment of a hydrocortisone semisolid W/O emulsion: Evaluation of rheological, structural, and release properties. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2026. 221, 107535. 10.1016/j.ejps.2026.107535
Cuquerella-Gilabert, M.; De Carlo, A.; Sánchez Herrero, S. et al. Leveraging Two-Stage δ Global Sensibility Analysis Method to Inform Parameter Estimation in PBPK Models. Pharmaceutical Statistics. 2026. 25(2), e70082. https://doi.org/10.1002/pst.70082
Domenech-Monsell, I.; Alambiaga-Caravaca, A.M.; Bernat-Just, L. et al. Development and Ex Vivo Evaluation of Famciclovir Ocular Inserts: Physicochemical Characterization and Biodistribution in Rabbit and Porcine Models. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2026. 122, 108461. 10.1016/j.jddst.2026.108461
Valcuende-Rosique, A.; Escoín Pérez, C.; Sánchez-Alcaraz, A. et al. Impact of Immune-Related Toxicity on Survival and Treatment Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients. BMC Pulmonary Medicine. 2026. 26(1), 135. 10.1186/s12890-026-04185-3
Cornejo-Uixeda, S.; Borrás-Blasco, J.; Valcuende-Rosique, A. et al. Dosing interval optimization and persistence with faricimab in age-related macular degeneration: An observational study in real-world clinical practice. Farmacia Hospitalaria. 2026. 50(4), 269-272. 10.1016/j.farma.2025.12.002
Domenech-Monsell, I.M.; Alambiaga-Caravaca, A.M.; Bernat-Just, L. et al. Innovative Famciclovir Eye Drop Formulations for Herpes Zoster Infections. Current Eye Research. 2025. 50(6), 590-599. 10.1080/02713683.2025.2472363
Xu, Z.; Cuquerella-Gilabert, M.; Zarzoso-Foj, J. et al. Comparison of dissolution profiles: 90 % confidence intervals of different f2 estimators using bootstrap methodology versus the Euclidean Distance of the Non-standardized Expected (EDNE) values. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 2025. 216, 114839. 10.1016/j.ejpb.2025.114839
Reig-López, J.; García-Otero, X.; Cuquerella-Gilabert, M. et al. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to describe [89Zr]Zr-DFO-Adalimumab specific activity after intravitreal administration to rats with endotoxin-induced uveitis. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2025. 681, 125845. 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.125845
Zarzoso-Foj, J.; Cuquerella-Gilabert, M.; Merino-Sanjuan, M. et al. Physiologically-Based Biopharmaceutics Modeling for Ibuprofen: Identifying Key Formulation Parameter and Virtual Bioequivalence Assessment. Pharmaceutics. 2025. 17(4), 408. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17040408
Prof. Virginia Merino Sanjuán
Associate Prof. Victor Mangas Sanjuán
Dr. Marina Cuquerella Gilabert
Dr. Javier Reig López
Andreu Máñez Asensi
Javier Zarzoso Foj