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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Probably okay to skip SIBO breath test before starting rifaximin in IBS-D
MAUI, HAWAII – You can’t trust the results.
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Descovy safety no match for cost savings with generic Truvada, study says
Analysis indicates the cost differential is worth only $370 more than the likely generic price.
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Testing lab asks FDA to recall NDMA-tainted metformin
Some samples were found to have more than 10 times the safe daily limit for the impurity.
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Genetic variants in nudix hydrolase linked to thiopurine myelosuppression
MAUI, HAWAII – There was a 27-fold increased risk of thiopurine-induced myelosuppression in IBD patients with NUDT15...
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HLA gene variant predicts anti-TNF antibodies in Crohn’s
MAUI, HAWAII – Maybe “just bypass anti-TNFs altogether” in carriers?
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A case is building for proactive anti-TNF monitoring in IBD
MAUI, HAWAII – “Why wait until a patient isn’t doing well?”
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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?
Article
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.