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Everest Medicines, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialisation of innovative therapeutics, has acquired an exclusive license with Visara, Inc., a subsidiary of NovaBridge Biosciences (formerly known as I-Mab), to secure an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialise VIS-101, in Greater China, Singapore, South Korea and certain Southeast Asian countries.
Under the assigned exclusive license, Everest Medicines will make an upfront payment of $7 million (equivalent to approximately RMB49.7 million) and reimburse up to RMB24.0 million for prior expenses; and pay up to $89 million (equivalent to approximately RMB632.0 million) in potential milestones; plus tied royalties on net sales.
VIS-101 is a novel bifunctional biologic targeting VEGF-A and ANG-2 that is more potent and could potentially provide more durable treatment benefits than existing treatments for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and retinal vein occlusion. VIS-101 has completed initial safety and dose-escalation studies in both the United State of America and China, and is currently completing a randomized, dose-ranging Phase 2 study in China. VIS-101 is anticipated to be Phase 3-ready in 2026.
Globally, the market size for anti-VEGF ophthalmic drugs reached approximately $23 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $40 billion by 2030. In China alone, the prevalent patient population of age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) exceeds 15 million, with around 600,000 new cases each year, yet only about 500,000 patients currently receive treatment. This indicates vast market potential.
