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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.

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FDA
5 Novel FDA Approvals Notched in 2024
Among the 55 novel drugs that crossed the regulatory finish line last year were notable new mechanisms of action, coming particularly in the oncology and neurosciences spaces.
January 13, 2025
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7 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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Series A
MyoKardia Alumni Launch Kardigan with $300M to Tackle Heart Disease
After the successful development of mavacamten and the sale of MyoKardia to BMS in 2020, former executives of the biotech are back together with a mission to make cardiovascular disease curable and preventable.
January 10, 2025
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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ALS
HEALEY ALS Trial Serves Up More Disappointment as Denali, AbbVie/Calico Fail
Misses from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis hopefuls Denali Therapeutics and partners AbbVie and Calico Life Sciences mark the latest setbacks for the controversial platform trial, the results from which have largely mirrored the dismal success rate in ALS overall.
January 10, 2025
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Podcast
NextGen Class of 2025, M&A Uptick Predicted Heading Into JPM, FDA Decisions to Watch
BioSpace presents 25 noteworthy biopharma startups in ’25; analysts forecast stronger M&A as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks off next week; GLP-1s continue to expand their reach as Novo, Lilly fight against compounders; and a look ahead to five key FDA decisions in Q1.
January 8, 2025
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1 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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FDA
When Are Confirmatory Trials ‘Underway’? FDA Releases New Accelerated Approval Guidance
Amid recent backlash stemming from market withdrawals and trial delays, the FDA seeks to further clarify its requirements for confirmatory trials for therapies seeking the shortened path to market.
January 7, 2025
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
NextGen
BioSpace’s NextGen Class of 2025 Leans Into Biopharma’s Hottest Trends
From ADCs and radiopharmaceuticals to cell and gene therapies, eager young startups are betting on advances in biopharma’s most competitive therapeutic spaces—and attracting dollars from Big Pharma.
January 7, 2025
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Right and left sides of the brain/iStock, Warrenra
Depression
Neumora’s Novel Depression Drug Strikes Out in First Pivotal Trial
In a highly anticipated readout for the kappa opioid receptor class in major depressive disorder, Neumora’s navacaprant failed to meet the primary and key secondary endpoint in the first of three identical Phase III studies.
January 2, 2025
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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Regulatory
5 Companies That Celebrated First Approvals in 2024
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, X4 Pharmaceuticals and Day One Biopharmaceuticals secured their maiden approvals this year in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, WHIM syndrome and pediatric low-grade glioma. Geron Corporation and ImmunityBio also notched wins.
December 23, 2024
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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Neuroscience
2024 Highlights the Rollercoaster That Is Neuro
This year saw lofty highs and devastating lows for neuroscience drug developers like Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and AbbVie, following the predictable pattern of successes and failures that characterizes this space.
December 23, 2024
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Balloon and missed bow spears arround . Target audience and marketing concept . This is a 3d render illustration .
Neuroscience
5 Clinical Assets That Flopped in 2024
Some 90% of investigational drugs fail—and success rates are even more dire in the neuro space. Here, BioSpace looks at five clinical trial flops that stole headlines over the past 12 months.
December 16, 2024
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
3d illustration showing amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Amyloid Hypothesis in Doubt as Newly Approved Drugs Hit Hurdles
Even as Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi and Eli Lilly’s Kisunla slowly roll out onto the market, experts question the efficacy of these anti-amyloid antibodies and the amyloid hypothesis overall.
December 16, 2024
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Podcast
Highlights From ASH, Lilly and Novo’s Manufacturing Boon, Momentum in Neuro, More
GSK, Gilead and Arcellx, Vertex and more present new data at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting just as sickle cell therapies Casgevy and Lyfgenia have a new outcomes-based payment model; Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk pump new funds into manufacturing; and AbbVie makes a Cerevel comeback while uniQure clears a path toward accelerated approval in Huntington’s disease.
December 11, 2024
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1 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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Depression
Relmada Considering ‘Strategic Alternatives’ After Failure of Depression Asset
Relmada Therapeutics will halt two Phase III trials of a major depressive disorder drug after a futility assessment and explore strategic alternatives including a potential sale to maximize shareholder value.
December 9, 2024
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1 min read
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Heather McKenzie
GLP-1
Evidence Mounts for Potential of GLP-1s in Alzheimer’s Disease
The darlings of the weight loss and diabetes spaces, GLP-1 receptor agonists have shown promise against Alzheimer’s in recent studies—with Phase III results expected next year from Novo Nordisk.
December 9, 2024
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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Series A
Obesity-Focused Antag Debuts With $84M and Backing From Novo Holdings
The Danish startup, whose lead candidate has parallels to Amgen’s MariTide, launches on the heels of Amgen’s Phase II data release for the drug last week.
December 4, 2024
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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