Since 2002 we’ve united nature’s own defence system with modern science. Abilar’s evidence-based formulas offer safe, effective healing, crafted with Nordic precision for people and their best friends alike.
Repolar Pharmaceuticals holds ISO 13485 certification, the international quality standard for the design and manufacturing of medical devices.
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Maryam Ghanbarirad, PhD
Maryam Ghanbarirad is the Quality and R&D manager, and is responsible for Repolar’s ISO 13485-certified quality management system and product development. She works closely with the research team to turn new findings into well-documented products.
Research and development has been a cornerstone of Repolar Pharmaceuticals Oy since 2002, even before the company was formally founded. Its multi-disciplinary research team spans medicine, microbiology, mycology, chemistry, forestry and technology, and has scientifically proven the safety and efficacy of resin and resin-based products. Abilar's resin technology is further supported by clinical studies carried out with medical experts across the Nordics, and the company continues to build its evidence base through new research and collaborations.
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Arno Sipponen
Arno Sipponen, MD, PhD, Specialist in Orthopedics and Traumatology, including the Special Competence in Wound Management, is a pioneer in the use of spruce resin in several medical applications and the founder of Abilar brand. His groundbreaking research and innovations regarding the antimicrobial and wound-healing properties of spruce resin originated while he was working as a GP in Finnish Lapland. Dr. Sipponen has played a pivotal role in transforming traditional knowledge into scientifically validated wound care innovations. He has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications and presented his research results at international medical conferences and scientific forums.
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Janne J. Jokinen
Janne J. Jokinen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Surgery at the University of Helsinki and Senior Consultant in Cardiothoracic Surgery, has been involved in research on the properties and medical applications of spruce resin since the inception of the 'resin research project'. Dr. Jokinen’s key role and research work have focused on translating empirical observations into clinical studies, designing, organizing and conducting research, and authoring scientific articles for national and international peer-reviewed journals.
The scientific foundation for all products lies in research conducted on spruce resin and its efficacy in treating people and animals. Repolar Pharmaceuticals' patented Resol Technology, developed from these early findings, transforms the resin's natural antimicrobial strength into modern, non-sticky formulations used across the Abilar range.
Abilar’s resin salve, Abilar Wound Balm, has been studied in clinical trials on pressure ulcers and complicated surgical wounds, a comparative study against silver sulfadiazine in chronic wounds, a skin safety test in healthy volunteers, and laboratory research on its antimicrobial effect. Below are the peer-reviewed studies, each with a plain-language summary and a link to the original publication. Product availability varies by market.
Clinical STUDIES
What it found: In a six-month trial with 37 patients, the ulcers healed completely in 12 of 13 patients (92%) treated with resin salve, compared with 4 of 9 patients (44%) treated with a hydrocolloid dressing. Bacterial cultures from the ulcers also became negative faster in the resin group. Setting: 11 primary care hospitals.
Sipponen A, Jokinen JJ, Sipponen P, Papp A, Sarna S, Lohi J. British Journal of Dermatology, 2008;158:1055–62. Read the study →
What it found: In a review of records from 82 patients with chronic, hard-to-heal wounds on the arms or legs, average wound length decreased by about 96% over six weeks with 10% resin salve, compared with about 63% with silver sulfadiazine, a widely used topical antimicrobial. The difference was statistically significant from week 2, and no infections or adverse reactions to the resin salve were recorded. Because the study looked back at patient records rather than assigning treatments at random, it shows an association rather than proof. Setting: a specialised wound clinic in Lima, Peru. Repolar supplied product samples but did not fund or commission the study.
Salcedo Molina GR, Chau Ramos EA, Chau Ramos CA. Vive Revista de Investigación en Salud, 2026;9(26). Read the study (in Spanish) →
What it found: In a small study of 23 patients whose wounds were slow to heal after surgery, all wounds healed completely with resin salve, with an average healing time of about six weeks (43 days). The study had no comparison group, so it shows how the wounds healed with resin salve but not how they would have healed with other treatments.
Sipponen A, Kuokkanen O, Tiihonen R, Kauppinen H, Jokinen JJ. International Journal of Dermatology, 2012;51:726–32. Read the study →
Safety
What it found: In a patch test with 207 healthy adults, the resin salve was applied repeatedly to the skin over three weeks, then tested again after a rest period. About 3% had mild, temporary redness during the application phase, and no one reacted in the final test, meaning the salve did not cause allergic sensitization. People with a known allergy to rosin (colophony) should still be cautious.
Yamileva K, Multia E. Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025;1–10. Read the study →
Laboratory research
What it found: In laboratory tests, pure spruce resin killed all tested microbes within 24 hours, including Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. A salve with 10% resin significantly reduced S. aureus and MRSA within 24 hours, and all other tested microbes within four days.
Sipponen A, Laitinen K. APMIS, 2011;119:720–24. Read the study →
What it found: Under the electron microscope, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria exposed to spruce resin showed thickened cell walls and a disrupted cell membrane. The researchers concluded that the resin weakens the bacteria by impairing their energy production.
Sipponen A, Peltola R, Jokinen JJ, Laitinen K, Lohi J, Rautio M, Männistö M, Sipponen P, Lounatmaa K. Ultrastructural Pathology, 2009;33:128–35. Read the study →
Abilar Nail Fungal Treatment 30% resin lacquer has been studied in a randomized controlled trial and an observational study on toenail fungus, along with laboratory research on spruce resin’s antifungal effect. Below are the peer-reviewed studies, each with a plain-language summary and a link to the original publication. Abilar Nail Fungal Treatment is not available in all markets.
Clinical STUDIES
What it found: In a trial with 73 patients, participants used either 30% resin lacquer daily for nine months, 5% amorolfine lacquer weekly for nine months, or oral terbinafine tablets daily for three months. At ten months, complete fungal cure rates were 13% for resin lacquer, 8% for amorolfine and 56% for terbinafine. The resin lacquer performed similarly to amorolfine and had the lowest treatment cost per patient, while oral terbinafine was significantly more effective than both topical treatments.
Auvinen T, Tiihonen R, Soini M, Wangel M, Sipponen A, Jokinen JJ. British Journal of Dermatology, 2015;173:940–48. Read the study →
What it found: In a study of 37 patients who applied resin lacquer daily for nine months, 13 of the 19 patients with a laboratory-confirmed fungal infection who were tested at the end (68%) no longer had a detectable infection. The study had no comparison group, so it shows how the infections responded to resin lacquer but not how they would have responded to other treatments.
Sipponen P, Sipponen A, Lohi J, Soini M, Tapanainen R, Jokinen JJ. Mycoses, 2013;56:289–96. Read the study →
Laboratory research
What it found: In laboratory tests, spruce resin was strongly antifungal against all dermatophytes tested, including all Trichophyton species, the type of fungi behind most nail fungus infections. It did not affect Candida yeasts or the other fungi tested, and under the microscope it damaged the fungal cell walls.
Rautio M, Sipponen A, Lohi J, Lounatmaa K, Koukila-Kähkölä P, Laitinen K. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 2012;31:1783–89. Read the study →
Yes. Abilar Wound Balm’s resin salve has been tested in a randomized controlled trial on pressure ulcers (British Journal of Dermatology, 2008), and Abilar Nail Fungal Treatment in a randomized trial on toenail fungus (British Journal of Dermatology, 2015).
Resol Technology is Repolar Pharmaceuticals’ patented method for processing Norway spruce resin into stable, safe formulations while preserving the resin’s natural effect.
Allergic reactions are rare, but possible. In a patch test with 207 healthy adults, the resin salve did not cause allergic sensitization, and only about 3% had mild, temporary redness. People with a known allergy to rosin (colophony) should avoid the product or consult a doctor first. See the skin safety study →
In a study of 82 patients with chronic, hard-to-heal wounds, wounds treated with Abilar Wound Balm’s resin salve shrank by about 96% on average over six weeks, compared with about 63% for silver sulfadiazine. The study was based on patient records from a single clinic, not a randomized trial. See the chronic wound study →
No. Abilar uses medical-grade resin from spruce (Picea abies), which differs in composition from colophony, the processed rosin from pine trees that is a known skin allergen. Colophony also lacks some of the natural compounds found in spruce resin.
In laboratory tests, spruce resin killed a wide range of bacteria and yeasts, including Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA, and a salve with 10% resin significantly reduced these bacteria within 24 hours. These are laboratory results, not results in patients. See the laboratory study →
In a randomized controlled trial, Abilar Nail Fungal Treatment’s resin lacquer performed similarly to amorolfine, a common prescription nail lacquer, at a lower cost per patient. Oral terbinafine tablets were more effective than both topical treatments. See the nail fungus trial →
