Chroma Medicine Welcomes Spark Therapeutics Co-Founder and Former Founding CEO Jeff Marrazzo to Board of Directors

News provided by

Oct 04, 2022, 07:00 ET

Marrazzo's experience in advancing gene therapies and building a pioneering biotechnology company through multiple stages of growth will be instrumental as Chroma brings forth a new class of genomic medicines

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chroma Medicine, Inc., (Chroma) a genomic medicine company pioneering single-dose epigenetic editing therapeutics, today announced the addition of Jeff Marrazzo, co-founder and former founding CEO of Spark Therapeutics, to its Board of Directors.

"Jeff's leadership at Spark yielded the first-ever approved gene therapy, and we are thrilled to bring his expertise to the Chroma Board," said Catherine Stehman-Breen, M.D., CEO of Chroma. "He is a proven company builder who has successfully led the advancement of novel genomic medicines to patients. His unique perspective as a gene therapy pioneer will be instrumental as we reimagine the future of genomic medicine."

After co-founding Spark Therapeutics in 2013, Marrazzo built the company into the world's first fully integrated, commercial gene therapy company, including securing regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and launching the first gene therapy for a genetic disease in the United States. As CEO, Marrazzo shepherded multiple gene therapies into the clinic for patients with conditions ranging from inherited retinal diseases to rare bleeding and neuromuscular disorders. During his tenure, Spark raised more than $1 billion in capital, established major partnerships with multiple pharmaceutical companies, grew to 850 employees, and created novel reimbursement models to ensure patient access to genetic medicines. In 2019, Marrazzo successfully orchestrated Spark's $4.8 billion sale to Roche. Currently, Marrazzo serves on the Board of the Life Science Cares Philadelphia and the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement. Marrazzo holds a dual M.B.A. and M.P.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.

"By leveraging nature's highly evolved mechanism to regulate gene expression, Chroma's unique epigenetic editing platform holds the exciting promise of precise, programable one-and-done therapeutics that preserve genomic integrity. This approach is a step change in genomic medicine and holds tremendous potential to revolutionize the treatment of complex, polygenic diseases," said Marrazzo. "I'm eager to work with Catherine and her leadership team to help bring breakthrough therapeutics and hope to patients living with serious illnesses."

About Chroma Medicine

Chroma Medicine is a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of genomic medicines that harness epigenetics, nature's innate mechanism for gene regulation, to deliver precise, programable single-dose therapeutics while preserving genomic integrity. The company was founded by the world's foremost experts in genomic research and is led by a veteran team of industry leaders and scientists with deep experience in genomic medicine, drug discovery, and development. For more information, please visit chromamedicine.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE Chroma Medicine