He Was Told He Would Die. So He Found the Cure Himself.
From last rites to leading a medical revolution — Dr. David Fajgenbaum on urgency, hope, and the hidden cures that already exist.
There’s a moment in life that very few people ever face — a moment when you realise your body is shutting down, and no one knows how to save you. For Dr. David Fajgenbaum, that moment didn’t happen once. It happened five times.
David is a physician, researcher, best-selling author, and the co-founder of Every Cure, a non-profit that’s revolutionising how we treat disease by repurposing existing drugs. But long before he became any of those things, he was a 25-year-old medical student — healthy, ambitious, and suddenly fighting for his life from a hospital bed.
This week’s episode is about what it means to really live when you’ve faced death — not as an idea, but as a reality. When David was told there were no treatments left for his rare condition, Castleman disease, he refused to accept that answer. Instead, he turned to science, data, and his own determination — eventually discovering the drug that would save his life.
But David’s story isn’t just one of survival — it’s a blueprint for hope, urgency, and change. In our conversation, he shared the three mindset shifts that helped him hold on when everything felt lost, how AI is now uncovering life-saving treatments hidden in plain sight, and why repurposing forgotten drugs could be the key to saving thousands of lives — starting today.
There’s something in the way David speaks — calm, clear, focused — that makes you sit up and pay attention.
If you’ve ever wondered what it means to turn your lowest moment into your highest purpose — or if you know someone who’s struggling to find answers in a broken system — this episode is for you.
P.S. David’s non-profit Every Cure is doing extraordinary work. If you’ve ever benefitted from an unexpected treatment — or know someone who has — share your story at everycure.org/ideas. You could help save a life.
Connect with Dr. David Fajgenbaum:
Website: everycure.org
Book: Chasing My Cure
Instagram: @davidfajgenbaum
Twitter: @davidfajgenbaum
My personal insights and takeaways
1. Your Greatest Turning Point Might Come From Your Worst Moment
“I had my last rites read to me. I thought I was going to die—and that moment gave me a clarity I carry to this day.”
Reflection: Sometimes, the breaking point becomes the breakthrough. Facing death gave David not just urgency, but direction—a reminder that our lowest moments can spark our most meaningful transformations.
2. Hope Is a Strategy
"You have to have a vision for what you’re fighting for. That vision kept me breathing even when it felt like getting stabbed with every breath."
Reflection: Hope isn't just a feeling; it's a direction. Having a clear, tangible vision can sustain us through unbearable moments and ground us when the pain is at its worst.
3. You Can Create Your Own Cure
"I realised I couldn’t wait for someone else to save me. I had to find a drug to save my own life."
Reflection: We often outsource our healing to systems, but sometimes the most radical and powerful thing we can do is reclaim that agency, even within the limitations of our circumstances.
4. Don't Accept 'We've Tried Everything'
"When a doctor says 'we’ve tried everything,' it just means everything the system knows. That doesn't mean there’s nothing left to try."
Reflection: Medical dead-ends are often systemic blind spots. Staying curious, open, and persistent can uncover paths others haven't considered.
5. It's Not Just About Saving Lives, It's About What Those Lives Go On to Do
"It’s not just about extending life. It’s about giving people back the moments that matter—walking your daughter down the aisle or starting nursing school."
Reflection: True healing restores possibility. David's story is a reminder that the point isn't just survival, it's what survival allows us to experience and contribute.
6. Clarity Comes From the Close Calls
"I didn't need to nearly die five times to realize I was in overtime. But that’s what it took for me to see it."
Reflection: Often, it takes a close brush with loss to gain perspective. But we don’t have to wait for tragedy to begin living with intention.
7. Be Ruthlessly Selective With Your Time
"It gives you permission not to do things you don't want to do. I used to feel guilty, now I just say: I don’t have time for that."
Reflection: There's wisdom in defining your non-negotiables. Clarity about your priorities often means setting hard boundaries and letting go of people-pleasing.
8. AI Meets Urgency
“AI lets us score 75 million drug-disease pairs, so we can find treatments no one’s ever considered.”
Reflection: Technology isn’t just about the future—it’s about saving lives now. With the help of AI, David is doing what no single human could: rapidly mapping hidden connections that could treat rare and overlooked conditions.
9. The Power of Repurposing
“There are 4,000 approved drugs. What if one of them could save your life?”
Reflection: We often chase the next big breakthrough—but what if the answer is already in your pharmacy? David’s work is transforming how we see medicine: not as a product pipeline, but as a treasure trove of untapped cures.
10. Sometimes You Don't Need a Miracle Drug. Sometimes You Need a Vitamin
"Kids with autism missing folate in their brains started speaking when given folinic acid. It was a simple vitamin derivative."
Reflection: Healing doesn't always require complex interventions. Sometimes overlooked, humble tools—like nutrients—can be the most transformative when applied with insight and care.
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This week’s conversation with Dr. David Fajgenbaum was a powerful reminder of what it means to fight for your life — and live with purpose once you’ve reclaimed it.
From nearly dying five times to discovering the treatment that saved him, David’s story is one of grounded determination, relentless curiosity, and the courage to rebuild — from the inside out.
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