A method and pharmaceutical composition for the enhancement of transfer of a therapeutic agent to a cell wherein the therapeutic agent is formulated in a buffer comprising a compound of Formula I: ##STR00001## wherein: n is an integer from 2-8; X.sub.1 is a cholic acid group or deoxycholic acid group; and X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of a cholic acid group, a deoxycholic acid group, and a saccharide group, wherein the saccharide group is selected from the group consisting of pentose monosaccharide groups, hexose monosaccharide groups, pentose-pentose disaccharide groups, hexose-hexose disaccharide groups, pentose-hexose disaccharide groups, and hexose-pentose disaccharide groups; and wherein at least one of X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 is a saccharide group.