Geoffrey Lin

Geoffrey advises a wide range of companies, investors and institutions on strategic transactions involving intellectual property, with particular focus on strategic collaborations, technology licensing, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, supply and distribution arrangements, and co-promotion and marketing agreements:

• Advised Kailera Therapeutics, Inc. and its investors on the establishment of the company, its $400 million Series A financing, and the worldwide (ex-China) licensing by the company of a portfolio of clinical-stage metabolic disease assets from Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, a leading Chinese pharmaceutical company.
• Advised South Korean biotechnology company SK Biopharmaceuticals in a global licensing agreement, valued at up to $571.5 million, with radiotherapy company Full-Life Technologies for exclusive worldwide clinical research, development, manufacturing and commercialization rights to Full-Life’s FL-091 radiopharmaceutical compound.
• Advised Erasca, Inc., a precision oncology company, in an exclusive license agreement for a pre-clinical RAS mutation targeting program with a potent oral tumor inhibitor, a potential best-in-class pan-RAS molecular glue called ERAS-0015.
• Advised Bain Capital in a license and collaboration agreement between One Bio and Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. worth $1.05 billion to develop, produce and commercialize an asthma and chronic sinusitis-targeting drug, SHR-1905 worldwide, excluding the greater China territory.
• Represented Mammoth Biosciences, Inc. in a collaboration and license agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for research and early-stage development of novel CRISPR/Cas gene editing therapies directed to Regeneron-selected targets, and for the clinical trials and commercialization of such products.
• Advised Zai Labs, an innovative, research-based, commercial stage biopharmaceutical company based in China and the U.S. focused on bringing transformative medicines for oncology, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases and neurological disorders to patients in China and around the world in numerous matters including:
  
  • in its license and collaboration agreement with Novocure in relation to Tumor Treating Fields technology and products.
  • its in-license of US-based, Incyte’s anti-PD-1 asset.
  • its exclusive regional license and collaboration agreement with Turning Point to develop and commercialize TPX-0022, Turning Point Therapeutic’s MET/SRC/CSF1R Inhibitor, across the Greater China region, including China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
  • a collaboration and license agreement with Mirati Therapeutics for adagrasib, a small-molecule KRASG12C inhibitor, in Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).
  • its exclusive worldwide license agreement (excluding Japan) with Takeda, a global pharmaceutical company, to research, develop and commercialize simurosertib.
• Advised China-based Simcere Pharmaceutical Group in a strategic collaboration with Netherlands-based Merus to obtain an exclusive license to develop and commercialize in China three bispecific antibodies using Merus' Biclonics technology platform in immunooncology.
• Advised Eli Lilly in its digital healthcare collaboration with leading China internet company Tencent and online healthcare service provider DXY to develop and launch an integrated diabetes patient care platform in China.
• Advised Innovent Biologics Inc., a leading bio-pharmaceuticals company based in China, in numerous transactions including:
  
  • a collaboration of at least three cancer treatments with Eli Lilly and Company, a global healthcare leader. The two companies described their agreement as one of the largest biotech drug collaborations in China between a multi-national and domestic company. Under the terms of the transaction, Lilly will make a US$56 million upfront payment to Innovent, with milestones for a single immuno-oncology drug candidate exceeding US$400 million (for which Geoffrey was highly commended in the Financial Times Asia Innovative Lawyers Report 2016).
  • a collaboration & licensing agreement for three clinical products discovered and developed by Incyte, a Delaware-based biopharmaceutical company.
  • its collaboration with Coherus; as well as on its collaboration with Eli Lilly regarding OXM3, a dual GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist that will enter China as a potential best-in-class, mid-stage clinical development diabetes compound.
• Advised NetEase, a Chinese internet technology company, in its exclusive license from Mojang to develop Minecraft for China and bring it to the Chinese market.
• Advised CASI Pharmaceuticals, a NASDAQ-listed biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics and pharmaceutical products in numerous transactions including:
  
  • its in-licensing of China rights for a portfolio of drug assets from Spectrum Pharmaceuticals which includes two of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ commercial oncology drugs and a Phase Three drug candidate for development and commercialization in China.
  • an exclusive licensing agreement with BioInvent International to develop and commercialize BioInvent’s immune-modulatory antibodies for cancer immunotherapy in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
  • an exclusive licensing agreement with Cleave Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on valosin-containing protein as a novel target for therapeutic use in cancer, in an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of CB-5339, a novel VCP/p97 inhibitor, in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
• Advised Healthwise, Incorporated, an Idaho nonprofit corporation, in a digital health education licensing transaction in China with a major Chinese social media corporation.
• Represented HilleVax, Inc. in an exclusive license agreement with Chengdu Kanghua Biological Products Co., Ltd. (Kangh) for rights to Kangh’s hexavalent virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate for norovirus outside of Greater China.
• Represented Tenacia Biotechnology Company, Ltd., a Bain Capital portfolio company, in an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Praxis Precision Medicines to develop and commercialize ulixacaltamide in Greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Ulixacaltamide is used for the treatment of essential tremor, a nervous system disorder that causes involuntary shaking and affects at least 10 million people in China.
• Represented Pediatrix Therapeutics, a pediatrics-focused therapeutic company in numerous collaborations, including:
  
  • its collaboration with Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel drug candidates for immuno-inflammatory diseases.
  • its expanded partnership with Tris Pharma, giving Pediatrix exclusive rights to commercialize Tris's entire FDA-approved ADHD portfolio as well as ADHD pipeline products in China.
• Represented Adicon Holdings Limited, a leading independent clinical laboratory company based in China in a strategic partnership with Guardant Health, Inc., a leading precision oncology company, to offer Guardant Health’s comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to accelerate the development of new cancer therapies in mainland China.
• Advised Everest Medicines, a Hong Kong-listed (HKEX 1952.HK) biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products and vaccines in Greater China and other Asian Pacific markets in multiple commercial agreements, including:
  • its collaboration and license agreement with Kezar Life Sciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for immune mediated and oncologic disorders, to develop and commercialize Kezar's lead drug candidate zetomipzomib.
  • the first cross-border mRNA vaccine equity and collaboration partnership in which an Asia-based biotechnology company received full technology transfer and manufacturing rights pertaining to proprietary mRNA technology developed by the licensor.
  • its in-license with Immunomedics of sacituzumab govitecan, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), for US$65 million up front and an additional US$60 million milestone upon US FDA approval of the drug.
• Represented Viela Bio on the out-licensing of its anti-CD19 mab to Hansoh, the China-based biotechnology company.
• Represented Assembly Biosciences on a license and collaboration agreement in China with global biopharmaceutical company BeiGene for Assembly’s portfolio of three clinical-stage core inhibitor candidates for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
• Represented Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in its collaboration with Zai Lab to support the development and commercialization of omadacycline for patients in China.
• Represented Schneider Electric in settling the largest intellectual property case in China through appeals, negotiations and drafting of the settlement agreement.
• Represented Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Shanghai committed to providing innovative science and medicines to underserved patients in China, in numerous transactions including:
  • an expansion of their collaboration with Cytokinetics by entering into an exclusive license and collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil for the proposed treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in Greater China.
  • its exclusive license agreement with LENZ Therapeutics to develop and commercialize LNZ100 (aceclidine) and LNZ101 (aceclidine + brimonidine) for the treatment of presbyopia in Greater China.
  • its exclusive license agreement with Hovione to develop and commercialize a preclinical ophthalmology program, JX08.
  • an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Milestone Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize the investigational drug etripamil in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and additional cardiovascular conditions in Greater China.
  • an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Oyster Point Pharma to develop and commercialize OC-01 (varenicline) and OC-02 (simpinicline) nasal sprays for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry eye disease for patients in Greater China.
• Represented a U.S. biopharmaceutical company in structuring and developing a joint venture with a Chinese party to develop and commercialize a biologic asset in China, and in drafting and negotiating the definitive agreements, including the out-license and collaboration agreement.
• Represented various U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies in collaborations with academic institution, as well as in various in-licenses and out-licenses, promotional agreements, distribution agreements and sourcing agreements. Also represented such companies in relationships in China, establishing research outsourcing relationships and agreements in China, and registering technology licenses to facilitate the transfer of royalty fees out of China.
• Represented a U.S. pharmaceutical company in out-licensing a late-stage asset to a collaboration partner for development and commercialization in China.
• Represented a U.S. clothing corporation in the negotiation of a collaboration with a large Chinese clothing company to co-develop the China market and expand sales of our client’s products in China.
• Represented global pharmaceutical companies in addressing generic and biosimilar competitors in China through use of regulatory protections; assessing the strength of the clients’ patent portfolios; developing and executing strategies to prove patent infringement, including developing and utilizing analytical testing methodologies; defending several patents from invalidation actions; monitoring and applying to invalidate competitors’ patents; and strengthening their Chinese patent portfolios.
• Represented two private equity firms in their take privates of two technology-focused companies. Assisted the clients with diligence issues and drafting and negotiating the IP related representations, covenants and closing conditions in the acquisition agreements.
• Represented a global life sciences company in acquiring a group of Chinese medical device companies by conducting IP due diligence, patent advisement and freedom to operate assessments, and providing risk management advice.
• Represented an international chemical company in structuring their agreements between its IP holding entity and their China entities to share their cost and benefits and with recording those agreements to effectuate foreign exchange and payments out of China.
• Represented various companies, including a Danish pharmaceutical company, in best practices for technology transfers, perfecting title to intellectual property generated by employees and by collaborators, methods for protecting out-licensed intellectual property and minimizing knowledge leakage or theft, and in performing freedom to operate analyses in China.
• Represented a multinational chemical company in assessing its patent portfolio, preparing and gathering evidence, perfecting jurisdiction, initiating litigation in Shanghai on a chemical process patent, and defending its patents against patent invalidation actions.
• Represented various clean technology corporations in industries such as biofuel, biogas, and wind energy in bringing their technology to Asia through collaboration and protecting their intellectual property from infringement.
• Represented an international consumer electronics company in developing a China patent licensing campaign.
• Represented an international medical device company in successfully enforcing several patents and litigation in China.