SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
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.

Courtesy Taljat David/Getty Images
FDA
Novartis Sees Glimmer of Hope for Branaplam in Huntington’s Disease
After discovering promising indicators on the path to the development of Branaplam (LMIO70) for spinal muscular atrophy, Novartis now hopes to repurpose the drug for the treatment of Hungtington’s disease.
October 23, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Business
Co-Existing With COVID-19: Containing the Contagion
As we resign ourselves to the fact that the epic SARS-CoV-2 virus that dominated 2020 is going to stubbornly follow us into 2021, we need to learn how to co-exist in temporary tolerance, at least until we have an effective vaccine.
October 21, 2020
 · 
4 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Business
Vanquishing COVID-19 by Decreasing Viral Inoculum
Dr. Monica Gandhi, MD, an infectious diseases doctor and professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, poses the hypothesis that masks and other social distancing measures may reduce the viral inoculum – or amount – of the SARS-CoV-2 we contract.
October 19, 2020
 · 
4 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Eli lilly putting in efforts to find solution for
Deals
Eli Lilly Acquires Disarm Therapeutics in an Effort to Solve Axonal Degeneration
Eli Lilly is betting on a new approach to axonal degeneration, announcing a definitive agreement to acquire Disarm Therapeutics, a privately-held biotech company committed to solving this mystery.
October 15, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Drug Development
Cyclerion Presents Bad News in Sickle Cell Study, Good News in CNS Trial
Cyclerion is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for serious and orphan diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS).
October 14, 2020
 · 
3 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Wasp venom can be used for sepsis and tuberculosis
BioCapital
Wasp Venom Shows Potential Against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Scientists hope to use powerful antimicrobial molecules found in the wasp venom against the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause sepsis and tuberculosis.
October 14, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Business
Exploding Biopharma Industry Going the Distance for Specialized Talent
The urgency of 2020 has shone a spotlight on the investment and advances in the U.S. biotech industry over the past decade – and overall, it is looking strong.
October 13, 2020
 · 
5 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Business
Could Immunocytokines Be a Way to Battle Glioblastoma?
In the study published October 7th in Science Translational Medicine, Dr. Weiss et al shared that immunocytokines delivered systemically were effective in mice models and a pilot human trial.
October 8, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Policy
GSK vs. Teva Patent Infringement Decision Reversal Could Have Broader Implications
In the October 2 verdict, Circuit Judge Pauline Newman said that promotional materials, press releases, product catalogs, FDA labels and witness testimony did support the “induced infringement” judgement against Teva.
October 6, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Drug Development
Could an Intranasal COVID-19 Vaccine Be More Efficient and Effective Than Traditional Approach?
There are over 170 COVID-19 vaccine candidates at various stages of development, and all but a few of them take the traditional intramuscular approach. But could intranasal delivery ease the logistical nightmare we face in exterminating the pandemic across the globe?
October 5, 2020
 · 
6 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Business
Genentech and Vaccibody Come Together to Develop Cancer Vaccines
“We are very excited to have entered into this transformative agreement that marks the start of a new era for Vaccibody,” Michael Engsig, CEO of Vaccibody, said in a statement.
October 2, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Alnylam (Pavel Kapysh/Shutterstock)
Drug Development
Alnylam Posts Positive Results of Groundbreaking Phase III PH1 Trial
Alnilam – the bright center star in the middle of Orion’s belt – has navigated its namesake Alnylam to positive results in their ILLUMINATE-B Phase III clinical trial evaluating RNAi therapeutic, lumasiran, in young children with Primary hyperoxaluria Type 1 (PH1).
October 1, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Policy
CA Governor Looks to Disrupt State’s Generics Market to Promote Affordability
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 852 into law on Monday, paving the way for California to manufacture cheaper versions of insulin and other drugs that have been in short supply in recent years.
September 29, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Business
XtalPi Takes Drug Development into the Next Frontier with $318.8 Million Series C
XtalPi Inc., an AI-based pharmaceutical technology company with an AI-powered platform that twins with existing R&D pipelines, now has $318.8 million more to bring drug development into the future.
September 28, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Drug Development
BMS a Pioneer in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer with Interim Phase III Opdivo Results
BMS’s ongoing Phase III randomized, double-blind, multi-center study – named CheckMate-274 – compares Opdivo against a placebo in 709 participants deemed to be at a high risk of recurrence after radical surgery.
September 28, 2020
 · 
2 min read
 · 
Heather McKenzie
Load More