Clinical development
Co-development alliances
Shared clinical execution across regions where one party brings asset control and the other brings local development capacity, regulatory pathway, or patient access.
Hong Kong (HQ)ShanghaiZurichChicago
Services / Strategic Partnerships
Service / 03 / 04
Build cross-border alliances that survive after signing.
Partner with Vision Lifesciences to structure strategic alliances for drug development, manufacturing, commercialization, and platform access across global markets. We advise from partner search through governance launch.
Scope
Alliance design
Execution
Post-signing
Coverage
3 Continents
What we deliverv.2026
- Strategic AssessmentDefine the partnership need: development, manufacturing, commercialization, platform access, or market entry.
- Partner SearchIdentify qualified counterparties with matching capability, geography, portfolio fit, and executive appetite.
- Alliance ArchitectureStructure governance, economics, IP, decision rights, data sharing, territory, and termination mechanics.
- Negotiation SupportTranslate strategic intent into term sheets and definitive agreements that operators can actually execute.
- Launch PlanningSupport the transition from signing to working governance, joint teams, and first operating milestones.
Why us
What strong partnerships need before signature.
The best alliances are designed as operating systems: aligned economics, clear decision rights, credible workplans, and a governance model that can absorb cross-border friction.
01
Partnerships are operating systems
A strong term sheet is not enough. We design the governance, decision rights, escalation paths, and reporting rhythm that keep the alliance functional after signing.
02
Cross-border context matters
China, Japan, Europe, and the US do not run BD, diligence, or operating governance the same way. We account for those differences before they become friction.
03
The partner universe is selective
We prioritize counterparties with capability and strategic reason to engage, not everyone with a business development inbox.
Approach
How our partnership process works.
From strategic assessment to governance launch, we guide clients through partner search, structure design, negotiation, and operating handover.
01
Strategic Assessment
We define the business objective, capability gap, geography, timeline, and non-negotiables before approaching the market.
02
Partner Mapping
We build a counterparty map by capability, territory, recent deal behavior, cultural fit, and likely decision path.
03
Structure & Negotiation
We shape the economic, governance, IP, operational, and exit terms that make the partnership durable.
04
Launch & Governance
We support the first operating milestones: JSC setup, workplan alignment, handover, and escalation mechanics.
Alliance architecture
Six design choices that determine whether a partnership works.
Strategic partnerships fail when economics are negotiated separately from operations. We design the agreement and the operating model together.
/ 01
Governance
Joint steering committee, reserved matters, voting thresholds, escalation route, and deadlock mechanics.
/ 02
Economics
Cost sharing, milestones, royalties, profit splits, supply economics, and currency/tax considerations.
/ 03
IP & Data
Background IP, foreground IP, improvements, data access, publication rights, and confidentiality.
/ 04
Operations
Development plan, manufacturing responsibilities, tech transfer, regulatory ownership, and quality obligations.
/ 05
Territory
Regional rights, launch sequencing, market access responsibility, and commercialization handoffs.
/ 06
Exit
Termination rights, wind-down obligations, step-in rights, inventory, sublicenses, and post-termination data use.
Partnership corridors
Where cross-border collaboration creates leverage.
We focus on partnership types where one party's asset, platform, or territory access is made more valuable by another party's operating capability.
Manufacturing
CMC / CDMO partnerships
Supply resilience, technology transfer, secondary source strategy, biologics capacity, and BIOSECURE-aware manufacturing redesign.
Commercialization
Regional launch partners
Market access, distribution, medical affairs, sales infrastructure, and post-approval operating models for territories the originator cannot cover alone.
Structures
Partnership architectures we commonly advise on.
Every alliance balances shared risk, operating responsibility, and economics. The mix changes by partner capability, asset stage, and geography.
Shared clinical risk
Co-development
Both parties contribute to development, with governance defining clinical plan control, cost sharing, and downstream rights.
Shared market execution
Co-commercialization
Partners share launch responsibility, medical affairs, market access, or profit participation in selected territories.
CMC / supply
Manufacturing alliance
CDMO, CMO, or pharma manufacturing partner supports supply, tech transfer, quality, and redundancy strategy.
Multi-program option
Platform collaboration
Partner accesses a platform across targets or indications, often with option rights, milestones, and program-by-program governance.
Coverage
Where we pressure-test the alliance.
Different partnership types stress different functions. We map those pressure points before partner outreach, not after signature.
Clinical
CMC
Regulatory
Commercial
IP
Governance
Co-development
Co-commercial
Manufacturing
Platform deal
Regional alliance
Option structure
Illustrative engagements
What a strategic partnership mandate looks like.
Anonymized vignettes drawn from past alliance and partnership engagements. Specific counterparties, indications, and economics are confidential and subject to NDA.
US biotech / Greater China partnerCONFIDENTIAL / NDA
Biotech / Asia clinical development
BriefCompany needed regional development capacity without giving up global strategic control.
Our roleMapped development-capable partners, structured co-development governance, and negotiated data-sharing and step-in rights.
OutcomeRegional co-development alliance signed with global data package preserved.
Europe / biologics CMCCONFIDENTIAL / NDA
Pharma / manufacturing resilience
BriefClient required a second-source biologics manufacturing partner ahead of regulatory and geopolitical supply-chain pressure.
Our roleScreened CDMO and pharma manufacturing partners, coordinated CMC diligence, and built tech-transfer milestones into the agreement.
OutcomeManufacturing partnership launched with defined quality, transfer, and redundancy milestones.
USA / ex-US commercializationCONFIDENTIAL / NDA
Platform biotech / commercial partner
BriefPlatform company needed a partner for territory launch while preserving optionality for future indications.
Our roleStructured regional commercialization rights with indication-specific expansion options and JSC governance.
OutcomeAgreement signed with regional launch plan and retained rights for future programs.
Engagement model
We design for post-signing reality.
Strategic partnerships must work after the announcement. Our work carries through first governance setup, operating handover, and early milestone alignment.
Principal-to-principal search
We prioritize decision-maker conversations and warm pathways where possible. Partnership processes fail when they sit too low in the organization.
Term sheet plus operating plan
We pair economics with the operating model: governance cadence, workstreams, reporting, escalation, and first 100-day plan.
Cross-cultural translation
We account for differences in decision hierarchy, diligence style, and communication norms across Asia, Europe, and the US.
Post-signing handover
We remain involved through early governance setup, workplan alignment, and practical handover from deal team to operating team.
Frequently asked
What clients ask before engaging.
01What types of strategic partnerships do you facilitate?+
We support co-development, co-commercialization, manufacturing alliances, regional commercialization partnerships, platform collaborations, distribution agreements, and option-based structures.
02How is this different from licensing?+
Licensing transfers defined rights. Strategic partnerships often require ongoing joint execution, governance, cost sharing, tech transfer, or commercial coordination after signing.
03Do you support manufacturing and CDMO partnerships?+
Yes. We help clients evaluate CMC readiness, CDMO fit, secondary supply strategies, quality obligations, and tech-transfer risk.
04How long does a partnership process take?+
Straightforward partner searches can move in three to six months. Complex cross-border co-development or manufacturing alliances often take six to twelve months from first mapping to signature.
05Can you help after the agreement is signed?+
Yes. We typically support early governance setup, first operating milestones, and handover from deal team to operating team so the partnership does not stall after signing.
Engage
Discuss a specific alliance need under NDA.
Share the capability gap, target geography, asset stage, or partnership type you are considering. A partner will respond within one business day with a confidential first conversation.
RESPONSE WITHIN 24 HOURS / NDA-FIRST