Meet David Fajgenbaum, a physician scientist who is saving lives by repurposing existing medications to treat different diseases through his organisation Every Cure. This conversation will challenge the way you look medicine and unlock the possibility that some of the solutions we’re looking for, are hiding in plain sight, on the shelves of your local pharmacy. From the near-death experience that changed the course of David’s life to how he’s harnessing the power of AI for good, this episode is a total game changer. Topics discussed: how a repurposed drug saved David’s life, living life in ‘overtime,’ what it’s like to swim upstream against the medical system, the AI advantage in fast-tracking drug matches to our 18,000 known diseases, how Viagra is saving sick kids, the economics of repurposing existing drugs and what we can expect from the future of medicine.

Find out more:

You can check out David’s recent TED talk or his book ChasingMy Cure. You can also support Every Cure and if you want to let his team know about a repurposed drug that’s worked foryou, click here.

Are you interested in how 80,000 Hours can help you use your career to make a difference? Check out their free resources here.

This podcast is hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-Rosefrom Fix The News and sound design by Anthony Badolato from Hear That!

David Fajgenbaum - The Medicine We Missed