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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Low-fat dairy associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes
SAN FRANCISCO – An indicator of healthy living, or a true effect?
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Type 2 diabetes is particularly devastating in adolescents
SAN FRANCISCO – “These kids have problems you’d expect in their grandparents.” – Dr....
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Misguided fear is keeping benzodiazepines from elderly
SAN FRANCISCO – Benzos are “wonderful” for geriatric anxiety and anxiety-related insomnia, said Dr. Carl Salzman of Harvard Medical School.
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VOC-sniffing necklace may support early detection of hypoglycemia
SAN FRANCISCO – Same trick as diabetes alert dogs – minus the pup.
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CAROLINA findings reaffirm linagliptin’s safety, free glimepiride of CV-risk stigma
SAN FRANCISCO – Concerns remain around glimepiride-related weight gain and hypoglycemia.
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Ketamine edges out ECT for refractory depression in small study
ECT maybe more durable than ketamine as a treatment.
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Daratumumab wins new indication for newly diagnosed myeloma patients
Daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (DRd) is now approved for newly diagnosed myeloma patients who are ineligible for autologous stem...
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Medical cannabis legalization outpacing evidence
SAN FRANCISCO – Sparse evidence on cannabis is based on observational studies – not RCTs, said Dr. Kevin P. Hill.
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CF drug picks up indication for children as young as 6
The original approval was based on three phase 3, double blind, placebo-controlled trials, which demonstrated improvements in lung function and...
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Case shows power of collaborative care for depression
SAN FRANCISCO – “It’s required quite a bit of work, but it can be done,” said Dr. Jürgen Unützer of the University of Washington, Seattle.
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Cannabis withdrawal syndrome real but underrecognized
SAN FRANCISCO – Prevalence was about 12% among heavy users, meaning three or more times a week.
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Which antidiabetic for elderly patients? It depends on their CV risk
Balancing heart failure with cardiovascular events
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CDC activates Emergency Operations Center for Congo Ebola outbreak
Cases have spread into Uganda.
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CGMs on the rise: New goals set time in range
The targets “should be considered an integral component of CGM data analysis and day-to-day treatment decision making.”
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Psilocybin promising for alcohol use disorder
SAN FRANCISCO – The results have not yet been unblinded, but the investigators found that in their first 56 subjects more intense mystical...