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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.

uniQure CEO Matt Kapusta, Company Courtesy
Drug Development
One Step Forward for Hemophilia Patients – an Even Bigger Step for Gene Therapy
Positive top-line data from UniQure’s Phase III HOPE-B gene therapy trial of etranacogene dezaparvove, an investigational AAV5-based gene therapy, point to a potentially curative treatment for patients with moderate to moderately severe hemophilia B.
November 19, 2020
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
New Understanding of eTreg Cells Signals Hope for Inflammatory Diseases
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have revealed insight into the metabolic signaling pathways influencing eTreg cells that could lead to new therapies for inflammatory diseases and related disorders.
November 19, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Business
Lead Pharma Teams with Roche on Oral Small Molecules for Immune-Mediated Diseases
Lead Pharma has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Roche, hoping to lead the way in the development of oral small molecules for immune-mediated diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases.
November 18, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Dr. Satjit Bhusri
Business
Diabetes: COVID-19 Risk Factor and Potential Side Effect
We have known since early on that diabetes is a complicating risk factor for developing severe illness from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The hypothesis is now being floated by members of the medical community that COVID-19 may cause the disease to return – or potentially a unique version of it.
November 18, 2020
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Deals
Sumitovant to Snap Up Development Partner Urovant Sciences
In a deal set to be finalized early in 2021, Urovant Sciences has agreed to be fully acquired by largest investor and close partner, Sumitovant Biopharma.
November 16, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Biotech Investors Rolling the Dice with 250% SPAC Surge
Emerging biotech companies have been finding creative ways to explode onto the stock exchange during the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 13, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
James R. Martin/Shutterstock
Business
Dysfunctional Tissue Resident CD8 T Cells Have Opposite Effect on Elderly Patients
A study recently conducted at Mayo Clinic showed that dysfunctional Tissue Resident Memory (TRM) CD8 T cells are actually working against the elderly, reducing immunity and enabling residual chronic lung issues after respiratory infections such as COVID-19.
November 13, 2020
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Tada Images / Shutterstock
Drug Development
Five Prime Celebrates Many Firsts in Positive Phase II Cancer Trial
Five Prime Therapeutics Inc., in collaboration Zai Lab Limited on the development bemarituzumab, a novel therapy for front-line advanced non HER2+ gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, on Wednesday announced groundbreaking positive topline Phase II results.
November 12, 2020
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Photo courtesy of Mispro
Business
Mispro’s Emerging Business Model Helps Biopharma Companies Get to Market Faster
This model has the benefit of giving companies direct oversight of their in vivo studies, allowing them to move faster while operationalizing every dollar of their seed financing.
November 11, 2020
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7 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Job Trends
The Future Looks Bright for mRNA-based Vaccines
It isn’t often that a contestant pulls ahead in a major contest and their competitor wins too, but Moderna – along with other COVID-19 vaccine contenders – will take it.
November 10, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Katherine Welles / Shutterstock
Deals
Pandemic Provides Silver Linings and FDA Delays for BMS
Setbacks and delays caused by COVID-19 are making everyone, in every facet of life, nervous. This week, that includes legacy Celgene CVR investors who are staging a mass exodus as two drugs under the agreement near the deadline and one, Liso-cel, faces inspection delays.
November 6, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Policy
Logistics and Efficacy Challenges Force World to Pivot Against COVID-19
When it comes to a novel virus like SARS-CoV2, a certain amount of “rolling with the punches” is required, and governments and global organizations like the World Health Organization are beginning to dismiss certain treatments and devote themselves wholeheartedly to others.
November 5, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Genetown
Controversy Surrounds Biogen and Eisai’s Alzheimer’s Drug Aducanumab
Biogen and Tokyo-based development partner Eisai are embroiled in controversy surrounding their investigational Alzheimer’s drug, aducanumab.
November 4, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Sana President and CEO Steve Harr/Courtesy of Sana
Deals
Emerging Biotech Enhances CNS Focus Through a Strategic Acquisition
On October 30, the company announced the acquisition of long-time collaborator Oscine Corp.
November 4, 2020
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Drug Development
Aptevo’s Phase I APVO436 Trial on Right Track Against AML
Aptevo is a clinical-stage biotech company developing novel therapeutics built on its proprietary platform ADAPTIR™technology which is modular and includes bispecific molecules that recognize and bind to two unique target antigens simultaneously.
November 3, 2020
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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