Haystack Science’s team consists of thought leaders who routinely make contributions to high-profile, peer-reviewed journals. Below are some examples.
Merck’s anti-RSV antibody expands protection for infants. Marshall, A. & Nording L. Nature Biotechnology 10.1038/s41587-025-02713-w (2025)
Here, we report on Merck’s new antibody clesrovimab and other long-lasting shots, which promise to expand and simplify care of newborns across the world to combat respiratory syncytial virus.
Drug development for neglected ultra-rare diseases of no commercial interest: challenges and opportunities. Katakowski, J. A. & López, J. C. Drug Discovery Today 30: 104346 (2025)
Ultra-rare diseases are of little interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Patient-led organizations often fund the early-stage development of ultra-rare therapies, but the difficult path to translate academic studies into approved medicines means that very few therapies ever reach patients. Here, we discuss the roadblocks to the development of therapeutics for conditions of limited commercial interest and propose ways to overcome these obstacles.
Mismatch repair inhibitors lift off in Huntington’s. Marshall, A. Nature Biotechnology 43: 458–461 (2025).
Startups targeting DNA repair seek to build on recent findings that neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease is triggered only after CAG triplet repeats reach a critical threshold. In this News feature, I report on the latest in this dynamic area of research.
Insulin — the new battleground for drug pricing. Marshall, A. Nature Biotechnology 40: 1 (2022).
Outrage over the cost of insulin is driving drug-pricing reform. In this Editorial, I argue that industry must do more to support patients dealing with spiraling out-of-pocket costs for biotech medicines.
What you need to know when working with big pharma. López, J. C. Nature Biotechnology 38: 785–787 (2020)
Ask any pharma executive whether their company is interested in academic collaborations and the answer is a resounding “yes.” So why do so few academic institutions have success stories to share? In this Commentary, I try to answer this nagging question and provide some insights on how to increase the probability of a productive collaboration.
The next biotech superpower. Marshall, A. Nature Biotechnology 37: 1243 (2019).
China is set to challenge the pre-eminence of the US drug market. In this Editorial, I pose that, if it can address gaps in its R&D ecosystem and clinical infrastructure, it may even become a home for biotech innovators.
Harnessing venture philanthropy to accelerate medical progress. López, J. C. & Suojanen, C. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 18: 809–810 (2019)
Lack of financial and human capital continues to hinder the development of successful biotechnology hubs in most regions of the world. In this Editorial, we argue that venture philanthropy, a type of investment that aims to obtain social (as opposed to financial) returns, could be an important part of the solution.
Banking on health. Marshall, A. Nature Biotechnology 37: 197 (2019).
Biomedical research and healthcare has traditionally centered on disease rather than health. Here, I comment on several projects that are collecting data from healthy people with the goal of changing that tradition.
The blind babymaker. Marshall, A. Nature Biotechnology 37: 1 (2019).
In this Editorial, I argue that the CRISPR baby furor is a clarion call to scientific and government bodies to define acceptable candidate diseases and minimal technical requirements for germline gene editing and to redouble outreach to, and oversight of, IVF clinics.