Michael Retterath, a BIO 2022 panelist and chief business officer at Spark Therapeutics, spoke to ScienceBoard.net about his company's transition from a research center to a private, venture-backed startup and a publicly traded company.

Founded in 2013, Spark is the first company to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a gene therapy for a genetic disease, and in 2019 it was acquired by Roche for $4.8 billion.

"As one of the leaders and with Roche's support, we have the ability to have more of a portfolio view and look across disease areas, tissue types, and assets," said Retterath, whose responsibilities at Spark include portfolio and technology prioritization.

When it comes to developing a sustainable portfolio, Retterath said there is a "structured way of thinking" through the opportunities. "There are constantly setbacks and frustrations early on," he noted, but it's about "making choices that de-risk subsequent choices" and "also give insights that help you address subsequent choices."

Watch the video below to learn more.

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