PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spark Therapeutics, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and a fully integrated, commercial gene therapy company dedicated to challenging the inevitability of genetic disease, today announced the appointment of Michael Retterath as chief strategy officer. His visionary leadership and more than 25 years of experience, combined with Spark’s rich gene therapy expertise, further positions the company to reach broader patient populations affected by genetic disease.

“After another year of incredible growth in our hometown of Philadelphia, we are poised to scale and accelerate our gene therapy research like never before as we create the path to the next generation of gene therapies,” said Jeffrey D. Marrazzo, chief executive officer of Spark Therapeutics. “We are thrilled to have Michael at the helm of our long-term strategy as we approach nearly one year since close of the merger with Roche and aim to further leverage the global resources of Roche to accelerate our vision of a world where no life is limited by genetic disease.”

Michael joins Spark Therapeutics from Bain & Company, where he served as a partner in the healthcare practice for a decade. Michael focused on corporate and business unit strategies, organizational transformations, product launches, growth strategies and new market entries. His experience spans multiple therapeutic areas, including rare disease, the central nervous system and ophthalmology across a wide range of modalities.

“This is a pivotal time to spark unprecedented progress in the field of genetic medicine, anchored by strong collaboration and future planning,” said Retterath. “I look forward to working with Spark and Roche leadership to navigate and accelerate the advancement of our science with a sustainable impact for patients, the healthcare system and society.”

Prior to joining Bain in 2010, Michael was a partner at Monitor Group and head of the New York office, where he supported multiple pharmaceutical product launches and growth strategies for 10 years. Before that, Michael was senior vice president at Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur in Paris and a senior director at Boehringer Mannheim (now Roche) in Mannheim, Germany.

Michael earned an MBA from the Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) and holds a M.Sc. in molecular biology and a B.Sc. in biochemistry from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

About Spark Therapeutics
At Spark Therapeutics, a fully integrated, commercial company committed to discovering, developing and delivering gene therapies, we challenge the inevitability of genetic diseases, including blindness, hemophilia, lysosomal storage disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. We currently have four programs in clinical trials. At Spark, a member of the Roche Group, we see the path to a world where no life is limited by genetic disease. For more information, visit www.sparktx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Kevin Giordano
kevin.giordano@sparktx.com
(215) 294-9942