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* NEWS * 05 March 2019 Roche vows to retain gene therapy leader’s culture. By * Chris Morrison0 * Chris Morrison * Yardley, Pennsylvania A pediatric hospital spinout responsible for bringing

to market in the United States the first gene therapy for treating an inherited disease has been acquired by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche. Spark Therapeutics, the Children’s Hospital of

Philadelphia startup, in 2017 received US Food and Drug Administration approval for Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl) to treat an inherited form of retinal dystrophy (_Nat. Biotechnol._

36, 6, 2018). The February 25 deal values the five-and-a-half year-old Spark at $4.8 billion, more than twice the company’s market valuation before the announcement. Basel-based Roche will

keep its target at arm’s length in an attempt to preserve what made it an attractive target in the first place, saying that Spark will continue to operate as an independent gene therapy

specialist out of its Philadelphia headquarters. ACCESS OPTIONS Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $29.99 / 30 days

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to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: _Nature Biotechnology_ 37, 492-493 (2019) _doi:

https://doi.org/10.1038/d41587-019-00007-6_