Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2026-02-20
Books mentioned on 664. Are Thousands of Medical Cures Hiding in Plain Sight?
Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak.
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing Chasing My Cure
“My name is David Fagenbomb and I'm co-founder and president of Every Cure and also a physician scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.”
Passing Strong Medicine
“We've been talking about the potential benefits of repurposing existing drugs for new diseases. That's not a new idea. Chris Snder. A famous case is aspirin.”