Seeing critical anatomy clearly during surgery can make all the difference. A fluorescence imaging technology developed by NIH inventors is moving closer to clinical testing through an exclusive patent license with Optosurgical, LLC.

The license gives the Maryland-based surgical imaging company U.S. rights to develop and commercialize BL-760, an investigational near-infrared fluorescence imaging agent designed to help surgeons visualize bile ducts and related anatomy in real time.

BL-760’s initial clinical development will focus on laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal. During these procedures, accurately identifying biliary anatomy is important for reducing the risk of surgical injury. By selectively highlighting biliary structures during surgery, BL-760 could offer surgeons an additional visualization tool to support precision in the operating room.

The agreement, executed through NIH’s Start-Up 3.0 Exclusive License Program, includes intellectual property developed by NIH inventors as well as certain jointly owned patent rights involving Children’s National Hospital. This work is also being supported by Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from ARPA-H.

With the license in place, Optosurgical is preparing an Investigational New Drug submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and plans a Phase 1b clinical study. The study is expected to examine BL-760’s safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, dose selection, and preliminary imaging performance in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The licensing agreement provides a pathway for an NIH-developed technology to advance toward clinical evaluation and potential commercialization, with the goal of bringing improved surgical visualization options to patients and clinicians.

You can find other technologies available for licensing from the NIH here and find a list of NIH active patent commercialization licenses here.