There’s promising news for both surgeons and patients. A new imaging drug, Bevonescein, is offering a fresh edge in the operating theatre by helping surgeons clearly identify nerve tissue. Developed at the University of New Mexico, this fluorescent agent attaches to nerves and makes them glow a greenish-yellow when viewed with specialised imaging equipment. As Dr Ryan Orosco puts it, “If we can help surgeons see things better, they can do faster, more efficient, safer surgery.”
In a Phase 1–2 trial involving 27 cancer patients undergoing operations where cranial nerves are at risk, the drug was given intravenously. Results showed that Bevonescein remains bound to nerve tissue for five to eight hours, but is flushed out from the body within 12 hours. Buoyed by these early outcomes, a larger Phase 3 study is now underway at ten sites across the US, including UNM Hospital. This trial uses both high-powered microscopes and innovative headband-mounted magnifying loupes to assess the drug’s performance.
The development of Bevonescein builds on work by Dr Quyen Nguyen of the University of California, San Diego, and Nobel laureate Roger Tsien, the scientist behind green fluorescent protein. By fusing a fluorescent molecule with a short chain of amino acids that selectively binds to nerve tissue, this solution could transform delicate surgical procedures—especially once the larger study confirms its benefits. Initially aimed at head and neck surgeries, the drug may soon see broader applications.
