A formulation for drug delivery, providing enhanced modulation of solubility, stability, absorption, metabolism, and/or pharmacokinetic profile of a lipophilic therapeutic agent by formulation with sterols and/or sterol esters, resulting in higher bioavailability of a therapeutic agent administered to a subject in need of such therapeutic agent. The formulation contains a therapeutic agent and a sterol or sterol ester, and can, optionally, further contain a solubilizer and/or an enhancing agent. Also described are pharmaceutical compositions containing the formulations and methods of making and methods of using the formulations and pharmaceutical compositions. Formulations of the disclosure can be constituted to minimize the synthesis of dihydrotestosterone when the therapeutic agent includes testosterone or testosterone esters.