i've thought about this trade-off as well. the go it alone route (which has / will take much longer) and the partnership route. if the sole objective is to get the drug out there and save more lives faster, you partner with someone with resources, know-how, connections, etc. and that gets us there much quicker. if the sole objective on the other hand it to maximize wealth, you give up no equity and do it by yourself - however, as we have seen this can take much longer, and is more of a "learn as you go" approach as this company has never completed things like BLA, etc.
i don't know what the right balance is, but I'm sure it's a question the company has considered (and continues to consider).