Research Landscape of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model Utilization in Different Fields: A Bibliometric Analysis (1999–2023)

The physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling has received increasing attention owing to its excellent predictive abilities. However, there has been no bibliometric analysis about PBPK modeling. This research aimed to summarize the research development and hot points in PBPK model utilization overall through bibliometric analysis.

We searched for publications related to the PBPK modeling from 1999 to 2023 in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. The Microsoft Office Excel, CiteSpace and VOSviewers were used to perform the analyses.

A total of 4,649 records from 1999 to 2023 were identified, and the largest number of publications focused in the period 2018–2023. The United States was the leading country, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was the leading institution. The journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition published and co-cited the most articles. Drug–drug interactions, special populations, and new drug development are the main topics in this research field.

We first visualize the research landscape and hotspots of the PBPK modeling through bibliometric methods. Our study provides a better understanding for researchers, especially beginners about the dynamization of PBPK modeling and presents the relevant trend in the future.