# Abenacianine

Source: https://onco.cc/drugs/abenacianine/  
OnCo record `abenacianine` (Imaging agent). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Abenacianine is an experimental tumour-targeted fluorescent imaging agent from Vergent Bioscience, in phase 3 trials for lung cancer and lung metastases.

## Summary

Abenacianine (VGT-309) is a tumour-targeted fluorescent imaging agent (quenched activity-based probe) from Vergent Bioscience. An injected imaging agent that binds cathepsin proteases, which are overexpressed in many solid tumours; it only fluoresces once activated by cathepsin activity, so tumours glow under near-infrared light during surgery. Its furthest stage is phase 3, for lung cancer and lung metastases. ClinicalTrials.gov registers it in 4 studies linked below. Phase 3 VISUALIZE-2 (NCT07499674) recruiting; phase 2 (NCT05400226) and phase 2b (NCT06145048) completed. Whether it works in people has not been established unless a trial below reports it.

## Fields

- Kind: Imaging agent
- Status: phase-3
- Last checked: 2026-11-03
- Also known as: VGT-309
- Tags: pipeline; ctgov-ingest
- Code: VGT-309
- Modality: Tumour-targeted fluorescent imaging agent (quenched activity-based probe)
- Mechanism: An injected imaging agent that binds cathepsin proteases, which are overexpressed in many solid tumours; it only fluoresces once activated by cathepsin activity, so tumours glow under near-infrared light during surgery.

## Sources

- Vergent Bioscience: vergentbio.com: https://www.vergentbio.com/technology
- Vergent Bioscience: vergentbio.com: https://www.vergentbio.com/
- Vergent Bioscience: clinicaltrials.gov: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05400226
- ClinicalTrials.gov: trials of VGT-309: https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?intr=VGT-309

## Connected records

- cancers: [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/)
- targets: [CTSS](https://onco.cc/targets/ctss/)
- companies: [Vergent Bioscience](https://onco.cc/companies/vergent-bioscience/)
- trials: [Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Abenacianine (VGT-309) to Identify Cancer in Subjects Undergoing Surgery for Cancer in the Lung](https://onco.cc/trials/nct07499674/), [Fluorescent Probe VGT-309 to ID Cancerous Colorectal Lesions During Augmented Colonoscopy](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06034197/), [Phase 2 Study of VGT-309 in Lung Cancer](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05400226/), [Phase 2B Safety and Efficacy Study of VGT-309 in Subjects With Cancer in the Lung.](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06145048/)

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