George Mason licenses cancer imaging technology to biotech company

SonoVanta™, a patent-pending contrast agent that improves the precision of cancer margin imaging, is the second technology from George Mason University to be licensed through the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation's (VIPC) Lab-to-Launch (L2L) Program, which accelerates the commercialization of promising research breakthroughs emerging from Virginia's universities.

From left, John Hart, president and CEO of NanOptical; Amy Adams, executive director of Nexus234 Innovation District; Remi Veneziano, associate professor, bioengineering, George Mason; and Helena Kondow-McConaghy, business development manager, PWCDEDT. Photo provided

SonoVanta™ originated from research conducted at George Mason bioengineering researchers Parag Chitnis and Remi Veneziano. NanOptical Biomedical Inc., a biotechnology company working on next-generation contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging, has licensed the technology. Photoacoustic imaging combines laser light and ultrasound to produce high-resolution views of tissue. The effectiveness of the technology depends in part on contrast agents that enhance the visibility of diseased tissue.

Successful commercialization of contrast agents depends on biocompatibility and scalable manufacturing. NanOptical Biomedical's platform addresses these challenges.

"SonoVanta™ was created to address one of the biggest barriers to the broader adoption of photoacoustic imaging," said Chitnis. "By using an FDA-approved near-infrared dye, we devised a platform that enables disease-specific targeting and makes manufacturing and implementation easier."

The company anticipates commercial availability this fall as an advanced tool for cell, tissue, and organ imaging, with applications across numerous areas of biomedical research and development. They hope to expand the technology's use in surgical oncology, with the goal of optimizing visualization of breast tumor margins during cancer procedures.

The L2L initiative, developed through a collaboration between VIPC and the state's six R1 research university partners, aims to significantly increase the number of start-ups emerging from Virginia's universities and help move technological breakthroughs to the marketplace, through a "fast track license." Instead of taking months, a licensing agreement can now take weeks.

George Mason bioengineering researchers Parag Chitnis and Remi Veneziano. Photo provided

NanOptical Biomedical's arrival represents an important milestone in bringing university-developed technology into research and clinical imaging.

"NanOptical Biomedical was formed to translate a strong university innovation into a commercially viable platform with meaningful market potential," said John Hart, president and CEO of NanOptical Biomedical. "Our initial focus is to serve research customers in academia, biotech, and the pharmaceutical sector, while also pursuing the regulatory pathway for future clinical applications in surgical oncology. We believe SonoVanta™ offers a valuable solution to deliver more precise imaging and address a critical need in cancer care."

"Eight years ago, Dr. Chitnis and I were standing in front of a whiteboard tossing ideas back and forth," said Veneziano. "We're excited to watch this technology grow from an idea into a new biotechnology company."

NanOptical Biomedical began operations at the Endeavor life science incubator in the Nexus234 Innovation District in Prince William County, Virginia. Hart said the company chose Prince William County as its first operating location to stay close to George Mason and the region's thriving life sciences industry. The company is joining Nexus234, Northern Virginia's first innovation district, which Real FDI named one of the Top 10 Life Sciences Projects globally in March 2026.

"NanOptical Biomedical is exactly the kind of company Nexus234 was created to attract and empower," said Christina Winn, executive director of the Prince William County Department of Economic Development and Tourism. "This achievement reflects the strength of the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem and the environment Prince William County has built for start-ups, research commercialization, and the life sciences industry."

NanOptical Biomedical's establishment in Nexus234 reinforces the region's commitment to cultivating an ecosystem that helps translate research and entrepreneurship into company success and job creation.

Earlier this year, George Mason was Virginia's first R1 research institution to commercialize a product under the L2L initiative. In January, the George Mason Research Foundation entered into a license agreement with serial entrepreneur Anthony Fung and his company Valorlox LLC for the patented technology Dynamic Low Visibility Pneumatic Cofferdam, a coastal resilience system designed to protect against flooding.