How A Doctor Cured His Own Terminal Disease | Dr. David Fajgenbaum

About this video

Dr. David Fajgenbaum recounts nearly dying repeatedly from Castleman’s disease after being told every option had been tried, and deciding to dedicate whatever life he had left to finding whether an existing drug, made for another condition, could help him and other patients. Huberman explains Fajgenbaum’s premise: most approved drugs affect many pathways but are approved for only one or two uses, creating a blind spot in medicine. Fajgenbaum describes how a drug developed in Japan for Castleman’s, tocilizumab, was available in the US for autoimmune diseases yet was not considered for him, and how it ultimately did not work in his case, while a combination of chemotherapies brought remission. Now a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, he runs a laboratory and the nonprofit Every Cure to systematically match existing approved drugs to diseases deemed untreatable.

Key takeaways

• Fajgenbaum decided, after being told nothing remained, to search existing drugs for a treatment for his disease.
• Fajgenbaum argues approved drugs affect many pathways but are usually approved for only one or two uses.
• Fajgenbaum describes tocilizumab as developed for Castleman’s in Japan but overlooked for him in the US.
• Fajgenbaum founded the nonprofit Every Cure to find treatments among already approved drugs.

Episode details: published November 3, 2025 · 85.1K views · 1:58:54 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The science and protocols described are Andrew Huberman’s, presented for education — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your own health practices.

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