Eight Drugs a Week Episode 18 – Rennes 2026: Day Tripper… Moving from Legend to Reality 🙌

What do Arthurian legend, a medieval convent, and the future of precision medicine have in common? They all converge in Rennes, France this September - and if this episode is anything to go by, the IATDMCT-SFPT Joint Congress 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious meetings our community has ever produced. In a first for France, the IATDMCT and the French Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (SFPT) are joining forces under one roof, bringing together TDM specialists, clinical toxicologists, pharmacovigilance experts, and clinical pharmacologists to ask a deceptively simple question: are we finally ready to turn the promise of precision medicine into everyday clinical reality?

In a special role reversal, our usual host Florian Lemaitre steps out from behind the microphone and into the hot seat, joined by his congress co-chair Marie-Clémence Verdier. Together, they take us on a tour of the scientific programme, the spirit behind the congress theme, and a few tantalising hints about what awaits delegates - including several secret surprises.

In this episode we'll hear about:

• Why two major pharmacology societies are joining forces for the first time on French soil, and what the IATDMCT community stands to gain from meeting its French counterparts

• How Brittany's own history of myth and reinvention inspired a vision for translating TDM tools into everyday clinical practice

• The sessions not to miss, including deep-dives into antipsychotic TDM, antiretroviral therapy and a cross-disciplinary bench-to-bedside exploration of drugs and the liver

• How the young scientists programme is tackling large language models in translational science, covering education, research practice, and ethics

• What to expect beyond the science: a Breton welcome reception, a congress dinner, and our very own 'Day Tripper' post-congress excursion to Mont Saint-Michel

Register for the Rennes congress at iatdmct-sfpt2026.org.

About our guests:

Florian Lemaitre is Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Rennes University Hospital, France, and co-host of the Eight Drugs a Week podcast. His research focuses on therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical pharmacology, and he serves as co-chair of the IATDMCT-SFPT Joint Congress 2026.

Marie-Clémence Verdier is Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Rennes University Hospital, France. She is co-chair of the IATDMCT-SFPT Joint Congress 2026, with expertise spanning clinical pharmacy and pharmacology in the hospital setting.

Eight Drugs a Week is supported by the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology (IATDMCT). The personal views of the hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the position of the Association.