Jeff Marrazzo founded and has led the growth of Spark Therapeutics from a research center within the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to a fully integrated, commercial gene therapy company that is challenging the inevitability of genetic disease by discovering, developing and delivering potential treatments in ways unimaginable – until now.
Under Jeff’s leadership, Spark received regulatory approval for the first gene therapy for a genetic disease approved in both the U.S. and EU, launched the first gene therapy for a genetic disease in the United States, and established human proof-of-concept of Spark’s gene therapy platform in both the retina and liver. In less than seven years, Jeff has built an organization of more than 450 colleagues while securing over $1 billion in capital and successfully orchestrating a merger with Roche. Spark has been named to the top 10 of Science Magazine’s 2019 Top Employer list, listed on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list three consecutive years and was awarded the Prix Galien for Best Biotechnology Product in 2019.
Prior to Spark, he helped build the first genetic testing benefit management up to and through the acquisition of a majority of the company’s shares by CVS Caremark. Previously, Jeff served as an advisor to former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, where he led reforms in the financing and delivery of healthcare.
Jeff currently serves as on the boards of the Life Science Cares Philadelphia and The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement. Jeff received a B.A. in economics and B.S.E. in systems science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a dual M.B.A. / M.P.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, a prograbr/>m which he founded.