Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard David Fajgenbaum (on repurposing medicine)
Nov 26, 2025
David Fajgenbaum, an immunology researcher and author of "Chasing My Cure," shares his incredible journey of battling Castleman disease, where a promise to his late mother pushed him toward medicine. He discusses his near-death experiences and the breakthrough moment of discovering off-label drugs that led him to remission. Fajgenbaum also highlights his mission with EveryCure, using AI to repurpose existing medicines for other inflammatory diseases. With stories of miraculous drug repurposing, he aims to inspire hope and action in medical research.
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Sudden Organ Failure During Med School
- David Fajgenbaum described waking into the ER and being told his liver, kidneys, and bone marrow were shutting down.
- He later gained ~100 pounds of fluid, went on dialysis, and needed daily transfusions while doctors searched for a diagnosis.
Carpet‑Bomb Chemotherapy And A Close Call
- After multiple relapses David received a last-ditch 'carpet bomb' of seven chemotherapies when physicians said they had no more options.
- He prepared to die, said goodbye, and later narrowly survived when the intense chemo pushed him back toward recovery.
Organization Beats Solo Science
- David read 2,000 papers and created a Castleman Disease Collaborative Network to centralize knowledge and clinicians.
- He concluded organizational barriers, not science, often block progress for rare diseases.
