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Heather McKenzie

Heather McKenzie

Senior Editor

Heather McKenzie is a professional journalist with more than 8 years’ experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Since joining BioSpace, she has written more than 300 features and breaking news articles, including multiple award-winning stories. Her particular focuses are neuroscience, rare disease and regulatory science. She has also traveled internationally to cover global biotech hubs, including 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, watching her American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, 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.

An MRI scan of the human brain/iStock, Photoprofi3
Drug Development
Coveted GLP-1 Drugs Show Early Promise in Alzheimer’s Disease
With a recent study yielding positive results, experts say GLP-1 drugs are making headway in treating Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
August 31, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
DNA and genome editing concept/iStock, elenabs
Drug Development
CRISPR Shows Preclinical Promise in Treating Alzheimer’s, Challenges Persist
At AAIC, researchers presented studies using CRISPR-Cas9 in animal/organoid models of Alzheimer’s disease, but some experts doubt that such approaches will successfully translate to humans.
August 11, 2023
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Right and left sides of the brain/iStock, Warrenra
Drug Development
The Neuropsychiatric Pipeline: 10 Late-Stage Therapies to Watch
With a potential $509 billion up for grabs by 2028, companies including Biogen, Sage, Karuna Therapeutics and Cerevel Therapeutics are vying to bring their drugs across the regulatory finish line.
August 9, 2023
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11 min read
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Heather McKenzie
FDA sign in front of its building in Maryland
FDA
Sage Hints at Difficult Decisions After Zuranolone’s Rejection in MDD
The FDA approved Sage and Biogen’s zuranolone Friday as the first oral medication for postpartum depression but declined to approve the application in major depressive disorder.
August 7, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Silver Spring, MD, USA 11/10/2020: Exterior view of the headquarters of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This federal agency approves medications, vaccines and food additives for human use.
FDA
FDA Approves Biogen, Sage’s Zurzuvae as First Pill for Postpartum Depression
Partners Biogen and Sage Therapeutics had sought approval for the therapy in both postpartum depression and major depressive disorder, but the FDA rejected the application for the latter.
August 4, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
sad man hand in head with whiskey on desk
Drug Development
GLP-1 Drugs Show Promise in Alcohol, Opioid Use Disorders
Early research and anecdotal evidence indicate that the popular diabetes and obesity drugs could treat some patients with addictive disorders.
August 2, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Silver Spring, MD, USA 11/10/2020: Exterior view of the headquarters of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This federal agency approves medications, vaccines and food additives for human use.
Policy
5 Highly Anticipated FDA Decisions for Rare Diseases Coming This Year
The first half of this year saw milestone approvals for rare disease therapies, and the FDA has several more such decisions on its calendar in the second half of 2023.
July 27, 2023
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: A man in a suit examines drugs with a ma
FDA
FDA Greenlights 35 Novel Approvals in H1, Biologics Stand Out
The FDA’s CBER approved nine novel therapies in the first half of 2023, with several more high-profile decisions on deck for the second half of the year.
July 21, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
A scientific analysis of Alzheimer's disease/istoc
Drug Development
Exploring Leqembi Combinations in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s
With Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi now fully approved, researchers are exploring combinations—including with therapies targeting tau and microglial function—that could increase its effectiveness.
July 20, 2023
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Alnylam CEO Yvonne Greenstreet, Alnylam
Drug Development
AAIC: First Clinical Data from an RNAi Therapeutic for Alzheimer’s Continue to Impress
Part B of the study, cleared to proceed in Canada, remains on hold in the U.S. due to findings from non-clinical chronic toxicology studies.
July 17, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: A physician studies a brain scan/iStock,
Drug Development
AAIC: Lilly’s Donanemab Data, Analyses Show Additional Benefit for Younger Patients
Full data for Eli Lilly’s Phase III TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 study, presented Monday at the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, confirm positive results announced in May.
July 17, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Roche tower in Basel, Switzerland
Deals
Roche in Talks to Buy Stomach Drug from Roivant for $7B: Report
The Swiss pharma is in talks to acquire Roivant Sciences’ RVT-3101, an anti-TL1A antibody that recently showed promising results in a Phase IIb ulcerative colitis trial, reports The Wall Street Journal.
July 14, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Doctor holding a brain scan with an elde
Drug Development
Untangling the Amyloid-Tau Connection to Inform New Drug Development
Recent data from the Phase III study of donanemab emphasize a correlation between amyloid and tau. Experts say a greater understanding of this link could further Alzheimer’s drug development.
July 13, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Blue cells under a microscope_iStock, Anikbananik
Drug Development
After First Approval, Experts Point to Barriers in Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes
The FDA recently approved the first cellular therapy for Type 1 diabetes and others may not be far behind. But experts say challenges still exist to the widespread application of these treatments.
July 12, 2023
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Bristol Myers Squibb office in California
Business
BMS Pays Combined $95M to Evotec, Prothena for Neuro-Focused Options
Bristol Myers Squibb is paying a total of $95 million to the two companies for exclusive global rights to programs developed within long-term partnerships designed to further BMS’ neuro pipeline.
July 11, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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