Using Existing Drugs in New Ways to Treat & Cure Diseases of Brain & Body | Dr. David Fajgenbaum

Overview

This episode features Dr. David Fajgenbaum, a physician, scientist, and survivor of Castleman’s disease, who shares his remarkable journey of using repurposed drugs to save his own life and the lives of others. The discussion explores the untapped potential of existing FDA-approved drugs to treat diseases beyond their original purpose, the systemic blind spots in medicine, and the role of mindset and resilience in overcoming life-threatening illnesses. Dr. Fajgenbaum also highlights his nonprofit, Every Cure, which leverages artificial intelligence to identify new uses for existing drugs, aiming to revolutionize healthcare.

Notable Quotes

- No one should suffer if there's a drug at your CVS that can help you. – Dr. David Fajgenbaum, on the mission to repurpose existing drugs for new treatments.

- You can do anything for one minute, one hour, or one day. – Dr. David Fajgenbaum, on the power of resilience during his battle with Castleman’s disease.

- The will to live sits somewhere in the network of the brain, and it’s tied to hope, action, and impact. – Andrew Huberman, on the neuroscience of resilience and tenacity.

🧪 Repurposing Existing Drugs for New Treatments

- Dr. Fajgenbaum’s life was saved by repurposing sirolimus (rapamycin), a drug originally developed for organ transplant rejection, to treat his rare and deadly Castleman’s disease.

- Many FDA-approved drugs, such as aspirin, Viagra, and lidocaine, have been found to treat conditions beyond their original purpose. For example:

- Aspirin reduces colon cancer recurrence in patients with specific genetic mutations.

- Viagra, initially developed for heart disease, is now used for a rare pediatric lung disease.

- Lidocaine, a numbing agent, has shown potential to reduce breast cancer mortality when injected before surgery.

- The pharmaceutical industry often lacks incentives to explore new uses for generic drugs, leaving many potential treatments undiscovered.

🧠 The Role of Mindset and Resilience in Health

- Dr. Fajgenbaum credits his survival to a mindset of hope, action, and impact, which he describes as a circuit: hope drives action, action creates impact, and impact fuels more hope.

- Resilience, cultivated through his background as a college football quarterback, helped him endure the physical and emotional challenges of his illness.

- Social support from family and loved ones played a critical role in his recovery, emphasizing the importance of community in health outcomes.

📊 The Power of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

- Dr. Fajgenbaum’s nonprofit, Every Cure, uses AI to analyze biomedical data and identify potential new uses for existing drugs.

- By mapping connections between drugs and diseases, AI can uncover overlooked treatment opportunities, such as TNF inhibitors for Castleman’s disease and other conditions.

- The goal is to create a comprehensive database that matches all 4,000 FDA-approved drugs to the 18,000 known diseases, ensuring no potential treatment is left unexplored.

🌍 Systemic Challenges in Medicine and the Need for Collaboration

- Dr. Fajgenbaum highlights the “Santa Claus Theory of Civilization,” a misconception that scientists and doctors are always working together seamlessly to find cures. In reality, the system is fragmented and often inefficient.

- He advocates for a shift from the “independent investigator” model of research to collaborative, goal-oriented efforts focused on solving specific medical challenges.

- The lack of centralized databases and communication between disease organizations, researchers, and physicians often delays life-saving treatments.

🌱 Exploring Preventative Health and Longevity

- The conversation touches on the potential of existing drugs and supplements, like GLP-1s and colchicine, to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and heart disease.

- Dr. Fajgenbaum emphasizes the blurred line between natural compounds and pharmaceuticals, citing rapamycin, derived from soil on Easter Island, as an example of nature’s role in drug discovery.

- The need for rigorous research into both pharmaceutical and natural compounds to promote health and longevity is highlighted, with a call for more bioprospecting and real-time testing in humans.