Journal profile · Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pharmaceutical Research
ISSN 0724-8741 · eISSN 1573-904X · Springer US · GERMANY · Monthly · Founded 1984
Pharmaceutical Research: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.05; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,690; median 91 days to acceptance (119 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 189 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Pharmaceutical Research is published by Springer US and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, Drug Solubulity and Delivery Systems and Advancements in Transdermal Drug Delivery, together about 33.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Pharmaceutical Science and Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Pharmaceutical Research, an official journal of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, is committed to publishing novel research that is mechanism-based, hypothesis-driven and addresses significant issues in drug discovery, development and regulation. Current areas of interest include, but are not limited to: (pre)formulation engineering and processing computational biopharmaceutics drug delivery and targeting molecular biopharmaceutics and drug disposition (including cellular and molecular pharmacology) pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenetics Research may involve nonclinical and clinical studies, and utilize both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Studies on small drug molecules, pharmaceutical solid materials (including biomaterials, polymers and nanoparticles) biotechnology products (including genes, peptides, proteins and vaccines), and genetically engineered cells are welcome.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Tonglei LiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 43, Japan 4, Mainland China 3, Australia 3, Macau, China 2 (71 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Drug Delivery SystemsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics12.6%
- Drug Solubulity and Delivery SystemsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics11.7%
- Advancements in Transdermal Drug DeliveryPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics9%
- Nanoparticle-Based Drug DeliveryMaterials Science8.3%
- Drug Transport and Resistance MechanismsMedicine7.5%
- RNA Interference and Gene DeliveryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.3%
- Inhalation and Respiratory Drug DeliveryMedicine5.3%
- Protein purification and stabilityBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEINSPECEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.05LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.15LetPub ·
- h-index
- 191LetPub ·
- h-index
- 265OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,174OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.85OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.88%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 180LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,700,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,934 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 210 | 81 | 87 |
| 2025 | 189 | 76 | 654 |
| 2024 | 156 | 61 | 1,393 |
| 2023 | 188 | 78 | 2,287 |
| 2022 | 305 | 146 | 6,040 |
| 2021 | 174 | 63 | 3,277 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
91 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 67 days – 124 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (119 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 115 days
- Sample
- 119 articles with submission and acceptance dates (427 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,690 / EUR 3,690 / GBP 2,990 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 200 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 1,500 words
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- commentariesIn addition to research papers, Pharmaceutical Research also publishes Expert Reviews, Perspectives, and Commentaries.Length not stated
- commentarymore than approximately 40 references. Commentaries should be limited to 1,500 words, less than ten references, and no more than one table or fimain text ≤ 1,500 words
- expert reviewsIn addition to research papers, Pharmaceutical Research also publishes Expert Reviews, Perspectives, and Commentaries.Length not stated
- letters to the editorLetters to the Editor provide a forum for scientists to exchange views on work previously published in Pharmaceutical Research.Length not stated
- perspective, and no more than one table or figure. Perspectives should be limited to 2,500 words, less than 20 references, and no more than a total of two tmain text ≤ 2,500 words
- perspectivesIn addition to research papers, Pharmaceutical Research also publishes Expert Reviews, Perspectives, and Commentaries.Length not stated
- research paperResearch Papers are the foundation of Pharmaceutical Research. Priority is given to papers focusing on current areas of interest, which include the following: T…Length not stated
- research papersResearch Papers are the foundation of Pharmaceutical Research.Length not stated
- theme issuesPeriodically, authors are invited to submit papers on highly relevant and interesting topics to be included in Theme Issues.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, Open access, Peer review
- Authorship
Cover letter must state manuscript is not previously published and not under simultaneous consideration. Model summary
The cover letter should explicitly state that the manuscript has not been previously published in any language anywhere and that it is not under simultaneous consideration by another journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest FULL DISCLOSURE
Each manuscript must be accompanied by a cover letter signed by the corresponding author on behalf of all the authors. The cover letter should explicitly state that the manuscript has not been previously published in any language anywhere and that it is not under simultaneous consideration by another journal. Moreover, Pharmaceutical Research will not publish any manuscript unless the chemical str…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Chemical structures of all compounds must be fully disclosed. Model summary
Moreover, Pharmaceutical Research will not publish any manuscript unless the chemical structures of all compounds are fully disclosed, either by reference to prior work providing such data or by enclosure of such data in the manuscript.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Human subjects research must state adherence to Declaration of Helsinki, committee approval, and informed consent. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Copyright transfer to Springer or Open Choice participation. Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Pharmaceutical Research, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review SUBMISSION & REVIEW PROCESS
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION Manuscripts should be submitted online to http://www.editorialmanager.com/pharmres. This web-based manuscript management system offers easy and straightforward login and submission procedures. It also allows you to track the progress of manuscript review in real time. After submitting a manuscript, you will need to review the converted PDF to ensure that all text, formulas, f…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer US
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1984
- ISSN
- 0724-8741
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-904X
- Society / sponsor
- American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 43, Issue 7 (July 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Pharmaceutical Research
What CAS zone is Pharmaceutical Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Pharmaceutical Research is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Chemistry, Multidisciplinary / Pharmacology & Pharmacy. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Pharmaceutical Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.05; CiteScore 8.7, h-index 265.
How long does peer review take at Pharmaceutical Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 119 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 91 days (interquartile range 67–124 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Pharmaceutical Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 200 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 1,500 words; Reference style: Vancouver; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Pharmaceutical Research based?
Of the 71 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (43), Japan (4) and Mainland China (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Pharmaceutical Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Pharmaceutical Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, INSPEC, Embase, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Pharmaceutical Research open access, and what is the APC?
Pharmaceutical Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,690.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .