Abenacianine

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.