EPISODE · Feb 20, 2026 · 51 MIN
664. Are Thousands of Medical Cures Hiding in Plain Sight?
from Freakonomics Radio · host Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle. SOURCES: Chris Snyder, professor of economics at Dartmouth College. David Fajgenbaum, co-founder and president of Every Cure, physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania. Heather Stone, health science policy analyst at the Food & Drug Administration. Sarrin Chethik, senior policy analyst at the Market Shaping Accelerator. RESOURCES: Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope into Action; A Memoir, by David Fajgenbaum (2019). Strong Medicine: Creating Incentives for Pharmaceutical Research on Neglected Diseases, by Michael Kremer and Rachel Glennerster (2016). Market Shaping Accelerator. CURE ID Registry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What this episode covers
Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle.
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664. Are Thousands of Medical Cures Hiding in Plain Sight?
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