VGT-309: A tumor-targeted near-infrared imaging agent for intraoperative cancer detection

Curative cancer surgery depends on complete removal of malignant tissue. However, intraoperative differentiation of cancer from healthy tissue remains a surgical challenge. This is especially true for minimally invasive procedures where tactile and visual cues are reduced. Intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) has emerged as a promising solution to these challenges by delivering real-time visual feedback to the surgeon, increasing the likelihood of complete tumor resection while reducing the unnecessary removal of healthy tissue. VGT-309 is an activatable IMI agent that targets cysteine cathepsins, a family of proteases enriched in a broad range of solid tumors. The mechanism of action, preclinical work, and clinical status of VGT-309 in ongoing and completed clinical trials for cancer in the lung will be presented.