How David Fajgenbaum saved his own life — and thousands of others
Worklife with Adam Grant
TED
4.8 • 9.4K Ratings
🗓️ 25 March 2025
⏱️ 44 minutes
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Summary
David Fajgenbaum had his last rites read to him at 25 years old after a brutal struggle with an inflammatory disease that attacks the vital organs. As a medical student with two weeks left to live, he repurposed a drug and tested it on himself—and saved his own life. Now, he’s repeating the same process for many others through his nonprofit, Every Cure, with the mission of unlocking the full potential of existing drugs to treat every disease possible. David and Adam discuss the building blocks of resilience, explore the disincentives that prevent hidden cures from coming to light, and explain how AI is aiding creative discovery to save lives.
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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram | LinkedIn | Website)
Guest: David Fajgenbaum (Instagram | LinkedIn)
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| 0:00.0 | Ouch. |
| 0:02.3 | Employing staff in-house has never been more expensive. |
| 0:05.3 | But what if you could take something out of the mix? |
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| 0:29.7 | Hi, we're Jessie and Lenny from Table Manners and our podcast is currently being sponsored by |
| 0:34.1 | MNS Women's Wear. Darling, I love love those linen trousers in that little cardigan. |
| 0:39.0 | It looks so gorgeous on you. |
| 0:41.0 | Thank you. |
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| 0:42.8 | It's so easy to wear. |
| 0:44.3 | It washes really well. |
| 0:45.4 | I feel like I've made an effort. |
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| 0:50.9 | It can be really easy to forget how nice compliments are to receive and give. |
... |
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