CASTLEMAN DISEASE COLLABORATIVE NETWORK

Our story began when third-year medical student David Fajgenbaum was struck and almost killed by Castleman disease. After several relapses and recoveries, plus a completed medical degree, the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) was co-founded in 2012 by Dr. David Fajgenbaum and Dr. Frits van Rhee (of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences). The goal from the start was to accelerate research to find a cure for Castleman disease (CD) and improve survival for all patients with CD. Drs. Fajgenbaum and van Rhee quickly brought together a global team of other physicians, researchers, patients, and loved ones, and their collaboration has made tremendous progress over the last five years.

The CDCN created an innovative roadmap to accelerate CD research and treatment discovery by leveraging and integrating the entire community of stakeholders - patients, loved ones, physicians, and researchers.