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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.

Ben Lamm and Beth Shapiro, Ph.D., courtesy Colossa
Colossal Closes $150M Series B with Eye on the Iconic Dodo
Tuesday, de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences closed a mammoth, $150 million Series B financing round and announced plans to resurrect the iconic Dodo – extinct since the 17th century.
January 30, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Getty Images
Drug Development
XyloCor Advances Cardiovascular Gene Therapy Space with Positive Angina Results
XyloCor Therapeutics reported positive topline results Thursday from Phase II of the Phase I/II trial of its gene therapy for refractory angina.
January 27, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Elderly woman sitting alone and looking sadly outside the window
FDA
Recent Regulatory Decisions Highlight Evolution of the Anti-Amyloid Theory
The FDA’s approval of Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi and subsequent decision not to approve Eli Lilly’s donanemab have sparked debate anew about the anti-amyloid theory in Alzheimer’s.
January 25, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
simonkr_Getty Images
Drug Development
Cassava’s Mixed Alzheimer’s Data Underwhelms Investors (Updated)
Cassava Sciences reported Phase II data from its Alzheimer’s candidate simufilam Tuesday. The company’s stock dropped 17% following the reveal.
January 24, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
courtesy of Shutterstock
Policy
Emerging ALS Biomarker to Face Test at Biogen-Ionis Adcomm
The FDA’s Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs advisory committee will discuss the merits of Biogen and Ionis’s ALS candidate tofersen on March 22nd.
January 23, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Policy
Despite Regulatory Progress, Delivery Hurdles Persist for Neurodegenerative Space
The neurodegenerative drug development space saw incremental victories in 2022. Leaders from Eisai, Voyager and QurAlis discuss upcoming milestones.
January 18, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
JHVEPhoto/GettyImages
Business
TC and MD Anderson Partner to Decode Role of GDT Cells in Cancer
TC BioPharm and MD Anderson signed a three-year collaboration to better understand the role of gamma delta T cells in cancer treatment.
January 17, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
New I-O Targets Herald a Decade of Drugging the Undruggable
The past decade has seen an immuno-oncology revolution, but there is still work to be done. BioSpace looks at innovative research from Nectin Therapeutics, Compugen and Biond Biologics.
January 13, 2023
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7 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Courtesy of Ionis Pharmaceuticals
Ionis Envisions Two New Approvals in 2023 in ALS and ATTRv-PN
At JPM Wednesday, Ionis CEO Brett Monia touted nine positive late- and mid-stage readouts from 2022 and set up the company’s commercial prospects for 2023.
January 12, 2023
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1 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Alto CEO Amit Etkin, M.D., Ph.D./Courtesy of Alto
Drug Development
Alto’s Biomarker-Based Depression Trial Bears Positive Data
Alto reported positive data from a first-of-its-kind Phase IIb trial of major depressive disorder candidate ALTO-100.
January 11, 2023
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Courtesy of Shutterstock
Drug Development
Day One Bio to Seek Approval in Pediatric Glioma
Day One Biopharmaceutical reported positive topline data from a Phase II trial in pediatric low-grade glioma, confirming earlier results.
January 9, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
Policy
FDA Approves Second Alzheimer’s Treatment in Two Years (Updated)
The FDA approved Eisai and Biogen’s lecanemab (Leqembi) Friday afternoon. It is the second anti-amyloid antibody to be approved for Alzheimer’s disease in two years.
January 6, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Graphite Bio CEO Josh Lehrer, M.D./courtesy of Gra
Drug Development
Graphite Bio Shares Tank as Groundbreaking SCD Trial Voluntarily Paused (Updated)
Graphite Bio announced it is voluntarily pausing the Phase I/II study of its lead candidate nula-cel in sickle cell disease.
January 6, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
simonkr_Getty Images
Drug Development
Third Patient Death Potentially Linked to Lecanemab Days Before Expected FDA Decision (Updated)
A letter published Wednesday in the NEJM links a stroke patient’s death to lecanemab. Eisai investigators respond.
January 5, 2023
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
JHVEPhoto/GettyImages
Drug Development
MD Anderson Delivers a Triple Punch to Pancreatic Cancer
In a recently published study, MD Anderson researchers achieved curative responses in pancreatic cancer models by targeting checkpoints in T cells and myeloid suppressor cells.
January 4, 2023
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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