Questions before a first conversation.
The questions buyers, counterparties, and prospective partners most commonly ask before engaging the firm. Updated quarterly, written by the partner team.
Advisory services.
How to decide which advisory route fits your objective, and what clients usually want to know before starting.
01.01Which advisory service is right for my situation?+
If you need external assets to fill a pipeline gap, the right starting point is usually in-licensing advisory. If you control an asset and need the right partner, it is usually out-licensing. If the objective is broader than a single asset - market entry, co-development, manufacturing, or commercial access - a strategic partnership route may fit better. If the asset needs a dedicated vehicle, investor syndicate, or independent operating plan, NewCo formation is the more relevant track.
01.02When should we involve an advisor in a licensing process?+
Earlier than most teams expect. The highest-value work usually happens before outreach: defining the target product profile, mapping counterparties, pressure-testing valuation logic, preparing a clean non-confidential package, and deciding which rights or territories should not be offered too early.
01.03What does a good in-licensing search look like?+
A good search is not a long spreadsheet of targets. It starts with a clear clinical and commercial thesis, then screens assets for differentiation, data quality, ownership, development transferability, deal availability, and internal fit. The output should help a BD team decide where to spend diligence time, not simply show what exists in the market.
01.04What should an asset owner prepare before out-licensing?+
At minimum, a concise non-confidential overview, a sharper confidential deck, patent and ownership summary, clinical or preclinical evidence package, CMC status, development plan, and a realistic view of desired territories and economics. The strongest processes also explain why the asset is partnerable now, not just why the science is interesting.
01.05How do advisors help beyond introductions?+
Introductions are only one part of the work. Good advisors refine the story, qualify counterparties, run structured outreach, manage information release, prepare diligence responses, identify commercial and scientific objections early, and help keep term-sheet discussions aligned with the strategic objective.
Engagements.
How we engage, what is typical, and what to expect from a mandate with the firm.
02.01How long does a typical engagement run?+
Most in-licensing engagements run four to nine months from mandate to signed definitive. Sourcing-only mandates are shorter; complex multi-jurisdiction structures and NewCo formations can run longer. We agree a critical path with milestone dates at engagement start.
02.02How is engagement priced?+
Engagements are structured as a retainer plus a success-based component aligned to deal close. Fee structures are bespoke and discussed at first conversation. There is no charge for initial scoping or for the first NDA-protected exchange of materials.
02.03What is the smallest mandate the firm will take?+
We work selectively. There is no formal minimum, but engagements that cannot benefit from cross-border reach or partner-level execution may be better served elsewhere. We will tell you in the first conversation if we are not the right counterparty for the mandate.
02.04Can the firm work on retainer without a transaction in sight?+
Yes. We run sourcing and screening retainers where the brief is to identify and triage assets matching a defined therapeutic and territorial thesis, ahead of any specific transaction.
02.05Do you handle post-close integration?+
Yes. Engagements typically extend through the first joint-steering committee and technology-transfer milestone. We do not disengage at signing; value transfer continues for months after.
Confidentiality & conflicts.
How we protect counterparty information and manage potential conflicts.
03.01How do you handle confidentiality?+
All discussions are NDA-first. Counterparty identities, asset names, and economics are not disclosed externally without written consent. Internal information barriers separate engagement teams across mandates with potential overlap.
03.02How do you manage potential conflicts?+
Active conflict screening at engagement start across asset, indication, and counterparty axes. Where mandates touch the same therapeutic space, we either decline or operate behind written information walls with explicit client consent.
03.03Will my materials be shared with anyone else?+
No. Materials provided under NDA stay within the engagement team and are not used for any other purpose. We do not maintain a house deal-flow feed sourced from client materials.
03.04Why are programs on the public Assets page anonymized?+
Programs are listed under internal Vision Lifesciences codes. Counterparty names, specific molecule identifiers, and economics are disclosed bilaterally under NDA after a qualified-buyer review.
Geography & coverage.
Where we operate, how the desks split, and what therapeutic areas we cover.
04.01Which regions do you cover most actively?+
Inbound corridors from Greater China, the EU, and the United States are most active. We source bilaterally - directly from BD teams - across all three. Japan and Korea are increasingly active on both sides.
04.02Do you work with Japanese and Korean counterparties?+
Yes. Tokyo and Seoul are not standalone offices but are covered routinely from the Asia desk in Hong Kong, with regular travel to both.
04.03What therapeutic areas does the firm cover?+
Coverage spans oncology, immunology, metabolic, CNS, cell and gene, rare disease, devices, and digital health. Our deal flow is most concentrated in oncology, immunology, metabolic, and cell/gene; coverage in other areas is real and active.
04.04Do you work on early-stage / pre-clinical assets?+
Yes, particularly where the engagement is structured as a NewCo formation or platform deal. Earlier-stage mandates are run from a strategy-and-structure angle rather than pure transactional.
Starting a conversation.
How to begin, what to prepare, and what to expect from the first call.
05.01How do I start a conversation?+
The most direct route is the intake form on any service page, or the address contact@visionlifesciences.com. A partner from the relevant desk will respond within one business day.
05.02What information should I prepare for the first call?+
A short note on the therapeutic area, indication or asset profile, geography, and timeline. We do not need a full data room for the first conversation - an NDA-protected one-pager is enough to determine fit.
05.03Will I speak to a partner on the first call?+
Yes. Initial conversations are partner-led, off the record, and without commitment.
05.04Is there a charge for the first conversation?+
No. There is no charge for initial scoping or for an NDA-protected exchange of materials before mandate.
Begin a private introduction.
If your question is not covered above, write to us directly. A partner will respond within one business day. All correspondence is treated as privileged.