How David Fajgenbaum Found His Own Treatment & Launched Every Cure
Listen 23:03
David Fajgenbaum’s friends nicknamed him “the Beast,” for his strength and athleticism (left), earned while playing football for Georgetown University. (Image by Peyton Williams). In 2011, Fajgenbaum was battling Castleman disease, a rare illness that nearly killed him five times (right). He shows off his distended stomach, caused by the failure of his liver and kidneys. (Courtesy of David Fajgenbaum)
What if treatments or even cures for devastating rare diseases already existed — and were just waiting to be discovered? On this podcast extra, we dive into the extraordinary journey of physician and researcher David Fajgenbaum, cofounder of Every Cure. After facing death five times due to a rare illness called Castleman Disease, Fajgenbaum not only discovered his own treatment, but also launched an ambitious project using AI to unlock existing drugs for countless other conditions.
He has a new TED Talk and was recently featured in Time Magazine’s list of “The World’s Most Influential Rising Stars.” Fajgenbaum’s life is also the subject of an upcoming movie based on his memoir “Chasing My Cure.” Listen to his incredible story of resilience, the profound lessons he’s learned from living in “overtime,” and how his work is already saving lives by repurposing treatments hiding in plain sight.
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