David Fajgenbaum, MD

@Penn physician-scientist-patient who 'cured thyself' | Advancing CDCN and Every Cure | National Bestseller #ChasingMyCure

[David Fajgenbaum, MD @DavidFajgenbaum]

7 yrs ago, I began testing a treatment on myself with the hope that I could make it to our wedding day. Today, we celebrate 7 yrs in remission, a life together with our sweet Amelia, & #ChasingMyCure coming out in paperback. https://t.co/0poooiL5iV

[National Cancer Institute @theNCI]

ICYMI: An @NIH-funded study showed that cancer mutations in immune cells of the brain, called microglia, help drive #AlzheimersDisease (AD). The findings suggest that anti-cancer drugs could potentially be repurposed to treat AD. https://t.co/7FbnxOY8Rx

[David Fajgenbaum, MD @DavidFajgenbaum]

So excited to see my friend @katie_haun hit this major milestone and to think about all of the start-ups and work this will accelerate!

[Katie Haun @katie_haun]

https://t.co/Unfl6DjfUk

[David Fajgenbaum, MD @DavidFajgenbaum]

@katie_haun Congrats, @katie_haun! So excited to see this next step and think about the impact that will come from it.

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

Nobody tells you this: You can get pretty damn far in life by just being someone people can count on to show up and do the work. Reliability is the cheat code. Stop overcomplicating success. Show up, do the work, repeat. That’s it.

[Every Cure @EveryCureorg]

So great to see @hubermanlab speak about @DavidFajgenbaum’s story and our mission on Modern Wisdom!

[Bill Frist, M.D. @bfrist]

For Rare Disease Day, yesterday, I thought about my friend Dr. David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc —and the rare disease patients and families who live with urgency every day.

David nearly lost his life five times to Castleman disease while still in medical school. He knew patients couldn’t wait for a brand-new drug. So he looked to medicines already on the shelf. And helped uncover treatments hidden in plain sight.

That determination led to his nonprofit, Every Cure, which is using AI to identify promising new uses for existing medicines so more patients can get options faster.

In the second photo, David and I are doing the Castleman Warrior Flex—a pose of strength and solidarity in the Castleman disease community to raise awareness and stand with patients and caregivers.

David’s story is incredibly inspiring—and one you should listen to. Hear it in his TED Talk: https://t.co/yAtBNwTQGM

[Freakonomics @Freakonomics]

Using an old drug in a brand new way can save patients’ lives. So why aren’t companies doing it?

Because as it turns out, “repurposing” an existing drug has 0 financial upside.

In this episode, guest host Steve Levitt explores what happens when markets fail patients, along with physician-scientist David Fajgenbaum (whose life was saved by a decades-old drug used in a new way) and economist Chris Snyder.

How do you fix a market that doesn’t pay for cures?

This new episode of Freakonomics Radio is available now, wherever you get your podcasts.

https://t.co/FfJ9iQk81z

[Nashville Hematology Conference @NashvilleHeme]

#NashvilleHeme26 Keynote Highlight!
Don't miss our inspiring keynote speaker, Dr. @DavidFajgenbaum, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Co-Founder and President of Everycure, Castleman disease survivor, and bestselling author of Chasing My Cure. He'll share his remarkable journey and groundbreaking work in his talk: "From Chasing My Cure to Every Cure: Utilizing Novel Approaches to Uncover New Uses for Existing Medicines" Plus, stay for a special book signing right after his presentation! Join us in Nashville Feb 26-28 for his keynote presentation and 60+ expert sessions, lively debates, and networking. FREE registration is still open with code FREECME → https://t.co/kXnNhuCZQI #Hematology #MedEd #CME

[Camus @newstart_2024]

Mind blown: On Modern Wisdom, Andrew Huberman reveals how a doctor literally cured his own terminal cancer-like disease—by raiding the pharmacy shelf for drugs nobody thought would work.

Dr. David Fajgenbaum, ex-football beast turned UPenn MD, was given last rites for Castleman's. Instead of accepting defeat, he tested off-label approved meds → 11+ years alive, thriving, with kids.

[Abundance360 @Abundance360]

Summit Faculty Announcement: The Edge of the Longevity Frontier 🧪

Peter has assembled one of the boldest Faculty Lineups in Abundance Summit history—spotlighting the pioneers redefining health, longevity, and human vitality.

🧬 David Sinclair — Decoding why we age and how to slow, stop, or reverse it
🔬 Geoffrey von Maltzahn — Engineering category-defining breakthroughs in biotech and nanotech
🩺 Amy Killen — Translating longevity science into real-world vitality and women’s health
💊 David Fajgenbaum — Unlocking lifesaving treatments through drug repurposing

In-person attendance is now on waitlist. Reach out to us at [email protected] to discuss your options.

[Medidata @Medidata]

Less than 22% of the 18,500 recognized diseases in the world have FDA-approved treatments. @DavidFajgenbaum and his company Every Cure are here to change that.

For our final episode of the year, David joins Anthony Costello on "from Dreamers to Disruptors" to explore one of the greatest medical disruptions of our time: using AI to uncover new uses for existing medicines (including saving his own life).

Stream it and subscribe now: https://t.co/CtQBuJ1R2I

#Medidata

[Bill Frist, M.D. @bfrist]

Dr. @DavidFajgenbaum survived Castleman disease five times by doing something extraordinary. Instead of waiting a decade for a new drug, he drew his own blood, built a global research network, and searched for lifesaving treatments among existing medicines.

His work led to EveryCure, now accelerating drug repurposing across hundreds of conditions. Proud that Frist Cressey Ventures supports this mission.

[David Fajgenbaum, MD @DavidFajgenbaum]

@bfrist Thank you so much for including me in such an important summit, for the great discussion, and for helping to spread the word about my journey #chasingmycure, our mission, and our work! So thankful for your leadership in medicine and beyond!

[Penn Medicine @PennMedicine]

Joseph Coates was weeks from hospice when his partner, Tara, turned to Penn Medicine’s @DavidFajgenbaum. After repurposing a drug to save his own life, Fajgenbaum now uses AI to help others with rare diseases.

In this clip, Joseph and Tara recall those moments of fear and hope:

[Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. @hubermanlab]

If you care about your health, it’s critical to become aware of how existing (approved) meds can prevent, treat, or even cure various diseases… and yet the medical profession is largely unaware of these. Dr David Fagjenbaum MD explains, & what he is doing about it.

[Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. @hubermanlab]

The new Huberman Lab episode is out: Using Existing Drugs in New Ways to Treat & Cure Diseases of Brain & Body | Dr. David Fajgenbaum (@DavidFajgenbaum)

0:00 David Fajgenbaum
4:06 Self-Agency in Healthcare; New Uses for Old Medicines
6:44 Other Uses of Aspirin & Viagra; Drug Development & Approved Use
8:53 Lidocaine & Breast Cancer; Pharmaceutical Companies & Incentives
11:36 Sponsors: Eight Sleep & Rorra
14:16 Pharmaceutical Companies, Patents & New Uses; Lithium
18:40 Tools: Finding Reliable Health Sources, Asking Questions & Disease Organizations; DADA2 Treatment
21:53 Medical Community & Connections; Integrated Medical Databases
24:36 Drug Repurposing, Thalidomide, Pembrolizumab
28:45 Medical Research Databases, Mapping Disease Connections
33:51 Every Cure Database & Programs, Bachmann-Bupp Syndrome; Colchicine & Heart Disease
37:57 Sponsors: AGZ by AG1 & David
40:41 David's Medical & Career Journey, Glioblastoma, Castleman Disease
49:10 Autoimmune Disease, Driven Personality, Stress & Immune System
52:52 Castleman Disease, Treatment, Chemotherapy
55:54 Physician Continuing Education, Santa Claus Theory of Civilization; Science Collaboration
1:03:32 Medical School, Relapse & "Overtime", Finding a New Treatment, Rapamycin
1:12:46 Sport, Football & Resilience; Challenge & Personal Growth, Family
1:18:41 Sponsor: Function
1:20:29 Social Support; "Overtime", Gratitude
1:23:19 Business School, Castleman Disease Treatment; Repurposing Drugs & AI
1:28:29 Drug Repurposing, POEMS Syndrome; Mitigating Risk
1:35:32 Nicotine, Compounds for Preventive Health; GLP-1 Agonists
1:40:51 Bioprospecting, Drug Development; AI, Prioritization & Novel Connections
1:46:18 Healthcare & Children; Hope, Action & Impact Circuit; Challenge & Super-Agers
1:52:50 Get Involved with Every Cure
1:56:20 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Includes paid partnerships.

[David Fajgenbaum, MD @DavidFajgenbaum]

@RachaelRad Was so great to meet you, Rachael! Yes—we’ve got to unlock Every Cure so no one suffers when there’s a treatment hiding in plain sight!

[David Fajgenbaum, MD @DavidFajgenbaum]

Huge congrats to Alison Loren! So well deserved and will be so great for hematologists and hematology patients!

[Penn Medicine @PennMedicine]

Alison Wakoff Loren, MD, MSCE, has been elected as @ASH_hematology incoming vice president. Loren will serve a one-year term, followed by leading the organization as president. @PennCancer https://t.co/eHcX9928dL

[The Philadelphia Inquirer @PhillyInquirer]

Penn immunologist David Fajgenbaum receives prestigious John Scott Award https://t.co/TVRFLK3Ms3