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Heather McKenzie

Heather McKenzie

Senior Editor

Heather McKenzie is a professional journalist with more than five years experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Since joining BioSpace, she has written more than 200 features and breaking news articles with a particular focus in neuroscience and gene therapy. She has also traveled internationally to cover global biotech hubs such as Israel. In previous roles, she has covered current affairs, sports, education and politics. She previously spent eight years as a senior content producer for executive-level business conferences in the pharma/biotech, legal, energy and business strategy sectors. In her free time, Heather enjoys creative writing, spending time with family and playing with her energetic Russian Blue cat Roofus. She hails from Toronto and has also lived in Chicago and Chesapeake, Virginia. You can reach her at heather.mckenzie@biospace.com.

Pictured: A neuroscientist looks at an MRI scan of
Drug Development
Top 2023 Neurodegenerative Readouts
Clinical results for experimental treatments in Alzheimer’s, ALS and more are expected over the coming months. BioSpace highlights a few of the more highly anticipated datasets.
April 14, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Scan of human brain /iStock, MyndziakVid
Drug Development
A New Era: Treating Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia
Karuna Therapeutics’ KarXT and Acadia Pharmaceuticals’ pimavanserin are sparking hope that a treatment for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia could be on the horizon.
April 11, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Novavax/Getty Images, STR/NurPhoto
Drug Development
Novavax Presents COVID-19 Booster and Flu Combo Vaccine Studies
At the World Vaccine Congress this week, Novavax presented data suggesting that its protein nanoparticle booster generated immune responses that could protect against severe infection.
April 6, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Courtesy of Cristina Arias/Getty Images
Drug Development
Lilly Debuts Next Alzheimer’s Drug, Will Test Subcutaneous Potential
With data from the Phase III trial of donanemab expected in Q2, Eli Lilly presented the first clinical results from its next anti-amyloid antibody, remternetug, at AD/PD 2023.
April 4, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Intellia office building with logo/compa
Business
Intellia Seeks to Broaden Gene Editing’s Potential with Full-Spectrum Approach
With several recent milestones, Intellia Therapeutics is setting a solid foundation for gene editing in rare diseases with an eye toward broader patient populations.
March 31, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: BrainStorm Co-CEO Stacy Lindborg
Drug Development
BrainStorm Secures FDA Adcomm for ALS Therapy NurOwn
The FDA has granted an advisory committee meeting for BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics’ investigational ALS therapy, NurOwn, the company announced Monday.
March 27, 2023
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
courtesy of Shutterstock
Drug Development
FDA Releases Briefing Docs for Upcoming Biogen/Ionis Tofersen Adcomm
Biomarkers as a surrogate endpoint in ALS will go on trial on March 22 as Biogen and Ionis’s tofersen faces the FDA’s Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee.
March 20, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Silvia Taylor, EVP, chief corporate affairs and ad
Drug Development
The Rise, Fall and Future of Novavax
On Feb. 28, Novavax issued a candid warning to investors: it may not be able to continue operations beyond February 2024. BioSpace takes a deep dive into the vaccine maker’s prospects.
March 17, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Cyrus Arman, Ph.D., CEO, CytoDyn/Courtes
Policy
Embattled CytoDyn Sets New Course Toward NASH, Tough Tumors
CytoDyn has spent the past two years under siege. In an exclusive interview, Cyrus Arman, president, told BioSpace how the company is looking to turn the page.
March 14, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Kathie Bishop, Ph.D._courtesy of Acadia
Drug Development
Acadia Wins FDA Approval for First Rett Syndrome Medicine
Acadia Pharmaceuticals announced the approval of Daybue (trofinetide) as the first and only drug to treat Rett Syndrome, a rare, neurodegenerative disorder affecting primarily girls.
March 9, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
QurAlis’ Biomarker-Driven Approach Attracts $88M in Series B
QurAlis has taken a biomarker-driven approach to treating ALS all the way to another bank deposit, closing an oversubscribed $88 million Series B round Thursday.
March 9, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Iris Grossman, Ph.D., chief therapeutics
The Decade of RNA Delivery – Beyond the Liver
The past two decades were all about nucleic acid reading and writing. The next is about delivering DNA and RNA, Yogev Debbi, CEO of Mana.bio, told BioSpace in an interview.
March 7, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Voyager CEO Al Sandrock/courtesy of Voyager Therap
Business
Voyager Rolls on as Novartis Selects Two of Three CNS Targets
Voyager Therapeutics unlocked a potential $600 million plus $25 million upfront as Novartis exercised its option to leverage the company’s capsids against two undisclosed neurologic disease targets.
March 6, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
FDA
FDA Approves First Therapy for Friedreich’s Ataxia (Updated)
The FDA greenlit Reata Pharmaceuticals’ omaveloxolone (Skyclarys) as the first and only treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare, life-limiting neuromuscular disorder.
February 28, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Al Drago/CQ Roll Call
Business
Billy Dunn Steps Down from Post as FDA Neuroscience Head
Billy Dunn, director of the FDA’s Office of Neuroscience, is stepping down from his post to “explore other opportunities,” according to an internal FDA e-mail.
February 27, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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