This week I attended a meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria as part of the UNGAP project. The European Network on Understanding Gastrointestinal Absorption-related Processes (UNGAP) is a multidisciplinary Network of scientists aiming to advance the field of intestinal drug absorption by focussing on 4 major challenges: (i) differences between specific patient populations, (ii) regional differences along the gastrointestinal tract, (iii) the intraluminal behaviour of advanced formulations, and (iv) the food-drug interface.

I was presenting on administration to “special” populations which encompassed both children and older adults – there are many similarities in these groups and the inclusion of carers in the administration process adds a layer of complexity.

Whilst there I heard many other interesting presentations with particular highlights including reviews on how food can affect drug performance and how we can make models to better predict drug absorption in these special populations.

It was fantastic to hear that outreach to the public is part of the UNGAP project and that there are opportunities to share the amazing work on so many platforms. There was even talk of a comic as an outreach mechanism.