Freakonomics Radio

664. Are Thousands of Medical Cures Hiding in Plain Sight?

Published 20 February 2026Duration: 58m 2s
Share on X

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.

Dialog switches87
Avg turn33s
Longest speech11m 32s
Host questions35
Guest questions17
drug65drugs30disease24patients20market19