This TED talk tells the true story of physician-scientist David Fajgenbaum, who nearly died from a rare, untreatable disease, and the journey of the "Every Cure" project that emerged from his experience. From the hidden potential of existing drugs to AI-powered drug rediscovery and the social movement connecting these treatments to real patients, the talk delivers a remarkable and hopeful message of medical innovation -- transforming despair into answers.
1. An Awakening at the Brink of Death and the Beginning of New Hope
David was a 25-year-old medical student, a former college football player who had been inspired to become a doctor after losing his mother to cancer. But he was suddenly struck by an extremely rare disease he had never heard of -- "Castleman disease" -- and found himself at death's door as all his organs began to shut down.
"David, we've tried everything we can. There's nothing left to try."
It wasn't until his family came to say their final goodbyes that he truly grasped the gravity of his situation and accepted that every treatment option had been exhausted.
As a last resort, his medical team simultaneously administered seven chemotherapy drugs that had nothing to do with his disease. Miraculously, the combination worked, and David survived to return to medical school. However,
"Over the next three years, I relapsed five times, and each time I nearly died."
During his third relapse in particular, he couldn't stop crying at the thought of losing the people he loved.
"I was heartbroken that the future with the people I loved, the patients I would treat, and the cures I would develop in my mother's honor were all slipping away."
That was when he realized he couldn't simply wait for someone else to save him, and he resolved to turn hope into action.
2. Rediscovering Existing Drugs -- A New Path in Drug Development
Developing a new drug requires an enormous investment of 15 years and $1 billion. But David found a clue in his own survival.
"The seven chemo drugs that saved my life weren't even made for my disease. So couldn't there be other drugs, made for other diseases, that might also work for mine?"
This is the concept of "drug repurposing." For example, Viagra (an erectile dysfunction drug) was originally developed as a heart medication, and thalidomide -- once infamous for causing birth defects -- is now used to treat leprosy and multiple myeloma.
"Diseases may look different on the surface, but the underlying mechanisms in the body can be similar. That's why a single drug can work across multiple diseases."
Furthermore, doctors can prescribe any FDA-approved drug off-label if they believe the benefits outweigh the risks.
"One in four prescriptions in the United States is an off-label prescription."
David studied his own blood, discovered hyperactive immune signaling, and identified the possibility that sirolimus, a drug previously used only for transplant patients, could shut down that signal. This drug had never been tried for Castleman disease. With no other options, David administered it to himself. The result:
"Since taking sirolimus, I've been in remission for 11 years with no relapses!"
As the audience erupted in applause and cheers, he began the next chapter of his life.
3. From One Person's Experience to a Cure for Everyone -- The Birth of Every Cure
David married his beloved partner Caitlin, became the father of two children, and published a book about his experience. He also became a university researcher, embarking on a quest for treatments for rare diseases and cancer.
In 2022, he and his colleagues founded the nonprofit "Every Cure."
"Our mission is to unlock the full potential of every drug to treat as many diseases as possible."
Under this mission, they completed 14 drug repurposing cases, saving thousands of lives. He shared specific examples:
- Kylo: Saved by a bone cancer drug, now a nursing student
- Michael: A melanoma drug repurposed for a rare cancer, enabling him to walk his son down the aisle at his wedding
David emphasized:
"We've developed roughly 4,000 drugs for about 4,000 diseases, but the truth is that approximately 14,000 diseases have no approved treatment at all."
Rare disease patients account for 10% of the global population, and countless others suffer without adequate treatment options. But if we can find and connect existing drugs to the right patients, the benefit can be delivered at less than 1% of the cost of new drug development -- and much faster.
4. Why the Market Ignores Drug Repurposing -- And the Rise of AI
So why doesn't this happen more often? David explained:
"Simply put, there's no money in it. Eighty percent of drugs are already off-patent, and clinical trials are so expensive that pharmaceutical companies have no way to recoup their investment."
This raised the question of who should take responsibility and systematically drive this effort. Neither the NIH, the FDA, nor pharmaceutical companies had stepped up to own this mission. But now,
"We use artificial intelligence to search through data on 4,000 drugs and 18,000 diseases worldwide, identifying the most promising matches."
This AI platform analyzes the connections between drugs and diseases -- much like Netflix uses data to predict your movie preferences -- to rapidly and broadly predict new indications. Promising candidates are then advanced to the lab, clinical trials, or in some cases, direct clinical adoption.
The ambitious idea was supported by The Audacious Project. Although initially rejected, Every Cure was eventually selected and secured large-scale funding, supplemented by support from the U.S. government agency ARPA-H.
"By 2030, we plan to repurpose 15 to 25 drug-disease indications, with the potential to expand to dozens or even hundreds with additional funding."
Moreover, the very first drug match suggested by the AI was applied to a Castleman disease patient, creating yet another miracle of restored life.
5. Real Innovation Stories and Untapped Potential
The platform doesn't just talk about possibilities -- it creates real change for real patients. Several moving examples followed:
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Leucovorin: An inexpensive vitamin derivative that enables some autistic children -- specifically those whose brains don't receive enough folate -- to begin speaking.
"Mason hadn't spoken for three years. Three days after starting, he said his first word."
"Ryan hadn't spoken for five years. Two weeks after starting, he said, 'Daddy, I love you.'"
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Joseph: Facing death from POEMS syndrome, a rare cancer, he was treated with three multiple myeloma drugs and is now in remission, planning his wedding.
David called out to Joseph in the audience:
"Joseph, I'm so grateful you're here. Woo-hoo!"
6. Innovation That Requires Everyone's Support
Closing his talk, David revisited a familiar phrase:
"'We've tried everything we can.' But is that really true?
Perhaps there are answers we haven't tried yet."
And he called for everyone to join the cause, acknowledging that it can't be done alone.
"Please help us! We want to ensure that no patient suffers because a treatment is already sitting on a pharmacy shelf.
We want to replace 'We've tried everything' with 'There's still more we can do!'"
7. Q&A -- Real-World Barriers and What Citizens Can Do
When the host asked why this isn't happening on a broader scale, David again explained the structural profit-driven logic:
"There's no incentive in the current system to do this. But the opportunities are enormous!"
The host then asked how this fits within the modern medical trend of personalized, precision medicine. David responded:
"Companies evaluate 20 to 30 potential indications for a single drug but ultimately pursue only one or two, letting the rest of those promising opportunities disappear. We're trying to find and fill those gaps."
So what can ordinary people do?
- Report drug repurposing and off-label cases: If you or a family member has benefited from an existing drug or off-label prescription, share your story at everycure.org/ideas.
- Donate and spread awareness: Clinical trials are extremely expensive. Supporting and publicizing these efforts is crucial to turning every treatment possibility into reality.
"If you see a message about a drug that could help someone, please spread the word!"
Closing
David Fajgenbaum's talk powerfully demonstrates the courage of finding innovative solutions in the depths of despair, and the strength of solidarity in sharing them with everyone. By reviving the overlooked potential of existing drugs through the combined power of artificial intelligence and collective action, it reminds us that we can all participate in the wave of change that turns 'impossible' into 'possible.'
"There's still more we can try. We can solve this together!"
Key Takeaways:
- Drug Repurposing
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Rare and Intractable Diseases
- Nonprofit Innovation
- Collective Intelligence
- Civic Engagement and Philanthropy