SRS: This Doctor Finds a Cure for His Own Castleman’s Disease
And that is only the beginning - meet Dr. David Fajgenbaum, interviewed by Shawn Ryan
Dr. David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, is a pioneering physician-scientist, tenured professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and bestselling author who transformed his personal battle with the rare, deadly Castleman disease into a global mission to accelerate cures for humanity’s 12,000 known diseases.
Diagnosed after losing his mother to cancer, Fajgenbaum endured 5 near-death experiences before using his medical training to identify sirolimus - a repurposed drug - as a life-saving treatment, achieving remission marking over a decade cancer-free as of 2025.
A Georgetown University graduate with advanced degrees from Oxford and Wharton, he co-founded the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) and Every Cure, leveraging AI and drug repurposing to unlock hidden treatments, earning spots on TIME’s 2025 TIME100 Health list and major media recognition for his “cure thyself” story.
Through his book, Chasing My Cure, and speaking engagements, Fajgenbaum inspires hope, advocates for patient-driven research and policy changes to speed up cures for rare diseases affecting millions worldwide.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Diving into Health and Terminal Illness Fears
01:16 Guest Introduction: Dr. David Fajgenbaum’s Achievements
02:29 Personal Story: From Collegiate Athlete to Medical Researcher
03:35 Challenges in the Medical Establishment
04:38 Navigating the Healthcare System
08:31 Early Life and Career Aspirations
09:35 A Life-Changing Diagnosis
15:17 Promise to Fight Against Diseases
17:17 Surviving Near-Death Experiences
21:37 The Role of Support and Determination
33:01 Facing Relapses and Continuing the Fight
34:05 Facing the Grim Reality
35:16 A New Mission: Finding a Treatment
35:34 Exploring Existing Drugs
38:07 The Breakthrough Discovery
38:47 The Life-Saving Drug
39:07 Living in Remission
39:30 The Broader Implications
45:23 The Power of Repurposed Drugs
52:40 Scaling the Effort with AI
53:46 Challenges in Drug Repurposing
01:01:44 Success Stories and Future Goals
01:07:42 A Doctor’s Breakthrough and the Power of Dissemination
01:11:34 The Role of AI in Drug Discovery
01:20:06 Exploring Cancer Causes and Prevention
01:23:26 The Impact of Environment and Holistic Medicine
01:37:33 Challenges and Innovations in Stem Cell Treatments
01:39:25 A Personal Message and Final Thoughts
David’s Book
