Kirkland & Ellis Advises CBC Group‑Backed NovaBridge Biosciences on Acquisition of VIS‑101

Kirkland & Ellis advised CBC Group‑backed NovaBridge Biosciences (Nasdaq: NBP, formerly I‑Mab) on its acquisition of VIS‑101; the transaction involved AffaMed Therapeutics (HK) Limited as the contributor of development and commercialization rights and Everest Medicines as the recipient of certain regional rights. The transaction closed on October 20, 2025. NovaBridge Biosciences — rebranded from I‑Mab as part of a strategic transition to a global biotech platform and leveraging CBC Group’s resources — used a NewCo model to acquire the asset. The acquisition was completed by a newly formed subsidiary, Visara, a clinical‑stage biopharmaceutical company focused on best‑in‑class ophthalmic therapeutics. Visara was launched with an approximately $37 million capital infusion from NovaBridge Biosciences and the contribution by AffaMed Therapeutics (HK) Limited of its rights to develop, commercialize and otherwise exploit VIS‑101. Upon completion, NovaBridge Biosciences is the majority shareholder of Visara, which controls the global rights to VIS‑101. VIS‑101 is a novel bispecific molecule targeting VEGF‑A and ANG‑2. It is described as a more potent candidate that could potentially provide more durable treatment benefits for patients with wet age‑related macular degeneration (wet AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) than current standards of care. VIS‑101 has completed initial safety and dose‑escalation studies in the United States and China and is currently undergoing a Phase 2 study in China; it is anticipated to enter Phase 3 in 2026. NovaBridge Biosciences has also entered a separate assignment agreement with Everest Medicines (HKEX: 1952) under which Visara has assigned Everest the right to develop, commercialize and otherwise exploit VIS‑101 in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Korea and India. Kirkland & Ellis represented CBC Group‑backed NovaBridge Biosciences in the transaction with a team composed by: corporate lawyers Mengyu Lu, Jiayi Wang, Justin Zhou, Ryan Choi, Yuchen Han, Louis Zhou and Rock Liu.

Kirkland & Ellis Advises CBC Group‑Backed NovaBridge Biosciences on Acquisition of VIS‑101

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