David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, survivor of Castleman disease and author of “Chasing My Cure,” discusses treating his own disease through experimental self-administered therapies, involvement in developing the first NCCN guidelines and FDA-approved drugs for Castleman disease, and how to effectively and systematically use off-label drugs for orphan diseases.
David’s journey is fascinating; his book is phenomenal. I even wrote a book review on the healthcare blog summarizing the lessons learned from reading it.
I learned so much from David, who also ended up delivering the keynote speech at the first ever virtual ASCO meeting that took place late May 2020. Trust me you want to listen to David, learn from him, and read his book.
This podcast is produced by the Journal of Clinical Pathways.
Dr. Simrit Parmar, founder of Cellenkos, joins the show to discuss her journey from the lab to the biotech startup world, detailing the inspiration behind launching her company, the challenges of securing funding, and the resilience required to overcome rejections. She shares insights into Cellenkos’ lead product, its progress toward market approval, and the rigorous
Carol Rausch—a healthcare professional, cancer researcher, and former patient with lymphoma—shares how her journey from researcher to patient transformed her understanding of medical language. She discusses the impact of word choice on patients, why certain battle and war metaphors can be harmful, and how language used in clinical settings differs from what resonates with those
Drs. David Braun and Toni Choueiri join to discuss a groundbreaking Nature study on a personalized neoantigen vaccine for adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. They explore the inspiration behind the trial, how the vaccine was developed and administered, and its safety profile. The conversation also covers patient outcomes after 3-4 years, including immune responses and disease
