M. Alexander Otto began his reporting career early in 1999 covering the pharmaceutical industry for a national pharmacists' magazine and freelancing for the Washington Post and other newspapers. He then joined BNA, now part of Bloomberg News, covering health law and the protection of people and animals in medical research. Alex next worked for the McClatchy Company. Based on his work, Alex won a year-long Knight Science Journalism Fellowship to MIT in 2008-2009. He joined the company shortly thereafter. Alex has a newspaper journalism degree from Syracuse (N.Y.) University and a master's degree in medical science -- a physician assistant degree -- from George Washington University. Alex is based in Seattle.
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HBV: Rethink the free pass for immune tolerant patients
MAUI, HAWAII – Not treating means more liver cancer.
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Sometimes medication is enough for a Crohn’s abscess
MAUI, HAWAII – “Evidence of a stricture is of paramount importance.”
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Sharpest spikes in pediatric diabetes seen in Asian, Pacific Islander youth
Rates are generally higher in racial and ethnic minorities, although low in American Indian youth.
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Exercise PH poised for comeback as new definition takes hold
What matters is the slope of pulmonary artery pressure to cardiac output.
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Shorter time to metastases associated with worse RCC outcomes
Synchronous disease a distinct molecular phenotype?
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Lorcaserin withdrawn from U.S. market due to cancer risk
The Food and Drug Administration advised health care professionals to stop prescribing and dispensing lorcaserin and to contact patients who are...
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Nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms might indicate early PsA
Diagnosis may be delayed more than 5 years.
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Lidocaine-prilocaine cream tops lidocaine injections for vulvar biopsy pain
Studies have pitted the cream against the injection before, but they did not compare patients’ maximal pain scores.
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Fewer complications, better outcomes with outpatient UKA
“In carefully selected patients, the ambulatory surgery center seems to be a safe alternative to the inpatient hospital setting.”
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CRISPR-engineered T cells may be safe for cancer, but do they work?
All three patients who received CRISPR-engineered T cells in a phase 1 trial experienced cancer progression but minimal toxicity.
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Staged hemispheric embolization: How to treat hemimegalencephaly within days of birth
“Neurosurgeons won’t touch them.”
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RCT confirms CT scan screening catches lung cancer early
CT screening of older people with heavy smoking histories – using lesion volume, not diameter, as a trigger for further work-up – reduced lung...
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Serum keratin 18 promising as AAH biomarker
There is a stronger association between serum level of keratin 18 and amount of hepatocyte death and liver disease severity than for other...
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Wuhan virus: What clinicians need to know
“It’s not good enough to just download CDC’s guidance; use it to make your own local plan and know what to do 24/7.”
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Exogenous boosting against shingles not as robust as thought
U.K. investigators perform a study to try to solve a varicella vaccine debate on whether pediatric vaccination is indicated.