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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.

Medical characters fighting the epidemic flat vector concept operation hand drawn illustration
Obesity
Analysts Home In on Safety as Novo, Lilly, Amgen Highlight Weight Loss Data at ADA
In the race to make the most tolerable obesity drug, there seems to be no clear winner—at least not according to analysts parsing the data presented at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting this week.
June 27, 2025
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5 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Podcast
FDA Churn Continues, RFK Faces Congress, Obesity Insights at ADA, BIO2025 Recap
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified in front of largely combative congresspeople on vaccine policy, his MAHA report and more; the mass leadership exodus at the FDA continues as CDER and CBER shed key staff; Kennedy’s revamped CDC vaccine advisors convene for their first meeting; Novo and Lilly present new data at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting; and BioSpace recaps BIO2025.
June 25, 2025
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: (From L) Joe Ross, Camille Bedrosian, Emil Kakkis and Heather McKenzie
Rare diseases
FDA Conditional Pathway Not Necessary, Rare Disease Experts Say, While Applauding Intent
Speaking at BIO2025, rare disease leaders from Ultragenyx, Amylyx and Yale questioned the need for the new regulatory pathway proposed by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. They acknowledged, however, that creative thinking is required to enable more treatments for patients with ultrarare diseases.
June 24, 2025
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Rare diseases
IRA Leaves Orphan Drugs Stranded Even as Regulators Promise Progress
The Inflation Reduction Act includes an exemption for orphan drugs for a single indication, but experts say this is far from sufficient to maintain momentum in the rare disease space.
June 23, 2025
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7 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Vaccines
Quick on Its Feet: Novavax Adapts to Continued Regulatory Uncertainty
After the delayed approval of its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine, Novavax now awaits the first meeting of the recently overhauled CDC vaccine advisory committee next week. Throughout a tumultuous season, the Maryland-based company is relying on agility and a diverse pipeline to stay ahead of rapidly changing regulations.
June 20, 2025
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Pictured: Eli Lilly Campus in San Diego
Business
More Than a One Trick Pony, Lilly Feeds Success Back Into Biotech
On the sidelines of BIO2025, Julie Gilmore, head of Lilly Gateway Labs, shares her thoughts on the $1.3 billion Verve Therapeutics buy, where Lilly’s therapeutic puck is potentially going and how the company is leveraging its unprecedented success in obesity to support young biotechs.
June 18, 2025
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Podcast
Another Gene Therapy Death; Biopharma M&A Picks Up; a Vaccine Board of Vaccine Skeptics
Another patient has died from acute liver failure after receiving Sarepta’s gene therapy for DMD ; After a quiet start to the year, M&A is back with one deal for a gene editing biotech reinvigorating that sector; and RFK Jr. installs a suite of new vaccine board members who share his skeptical views on vaccines.
June 18, 2025
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1 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Medical 2D illustration
Vaccines
As New CDC Vaccine Advisors Gear Up for First Meeting, Experts Ask, ‘Where’s Cassidy?’
Scientists and analysts express concern that the newly appointed ACIP members—which include known anti-vaxxers—could relitigate recommendations that have already been made. Many are imploring Sen. Bill Cassidy to step up.
June 12, 2025
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4 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Policy
Makary, Prasad Lay Out Mission for FDA in Journal Kennedy Called ‘Corrupt’
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER Director Vinay Prasad published an article in JAMA on Tuesday outlining the FDA’s priorities, including accelerating cures and the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence.
June 11, 2025
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Podcast
RFK Axes CDC Vaccine Advisors; Metsera’s Weight Loss Win; FDA Supports CGT
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made waves this week, firing the remaining members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; Metsera’s amylin drug produced weight loss of 8.4% at 36 days; and FDA leaders gathered last week to discuss the future of cell and gene therapy, a sector that has been in turmoil since the ousting of CBER Chief Peter Marks.
June 11, 2025
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1 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Vaccines
‘More Critical’ Vaccine Advisors Expected Following Kennedy’s ACIP Ouster
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s removal of all remaining members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices raises questions about the upcoming meeting later this month. Analysts fear the committee could be more sympathetic to the HHS Secretary’s anti-vax viewpoints.
June 10, 2025
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3 min read
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Heather McKenzie
vaccines
In ‘Bold’ Move, RFK Jr. ‘Retires’ All 17 Members of CDC’s Vaccine Committee
Two weeks of upheaval at the CDC culminated Monday in the complete reconstitution of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pens op-ed criticizing “conflicts of interest” he says exist on the current committee.
June 9, 2025
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
Unvaccinated And vaccinated people as anti-vaxxer or individuals that oppose taking the vaccine with 3D illustration elements.
Vaccines
ACIP Members Receive Termination Notices as Fears Mount Over RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Machinations
The loss of special government employee status for four members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices follows the resignation of ACIP co-lead Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, who left in protest of a controversial change in COVID-19 recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women.
June 9, 2025
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2 min read
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Heather McKenzie
an illustration of an American flag being torn in half by a syringe
Editorial
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures? RFK’s Vaccine Campaign Only Breeds More Distrust
Vaccine skepticism is at an all-time high in the U.S., and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making some drastic moves in the name of reversing that trend. But misinformation and inconsistencies within the country’s healthcare agencies highlight problems with his approach.
June 6, 2025
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8 min read
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Jef Akst
neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's Disease Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis or MS representing Huntington's Disease and Stress or anxiety and dementia as a brain disorder neurology and psychiatry symbol
Huntington’s disease
uniQure’s Regulatory Progress Sparks Optimism for ‘Desperate’ Huntington’s Space
Analysts reacted positively to the news that uniQure is in alignment with the FDA on an accelerated approval pathway and on target for a Q1 2026 submission for its one-time gene therapy for Huntington’s disease—but patients have been here before.
June 5, 2025
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6 min read
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Heather McKenzie
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