Maple Grove Medical Company Debuts New Prostate Cancer Treatment

A medical device company based in Maple Grove is poised to redefine the standard of care for prostate cancer patients worldwide.

Francis Medical has officially received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its “Vanquish Water Vapor Ablation System,” a breakthrough technology eight years in the making.

How the Vanquish System Works

The Vanquish system utilizes a specialized method of water vapor ablation. The procedure uses steam to deliver targeted thermal energy directly to cancerous prostate tissue. This process causes rapid cell death in the tumor while significantly limiting damage to the surrounding healthy tissue and nerves.

According to company officials, the precision of the steam-based therapy offers a major advantage over traditional methods:

• Targeted Treatment: minimizes impact on surrounding areas.
• Reduced Side Effects: fewer complications compared to invasive surgery or long-term radiation.
• Efficiency: the procedure is performed in an outpatient setting and typically lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.

A Francis Medical employee at work in the lab at the company’s Maple Grove office.

A New Standard of Care

Mike Kujak, President and CEO of Francis Medical, has high expectations for the technology’s impact on oncology.

“I have great hope that it will become, worldwide, the standard of care,” Kujak said.

While the technology is a major leap forward, Kujak notes that it is specifically designed for localized cancer. The system is most effective when the disease is contained within the prostate, which applies to the vast majority of new diagnoses.

“If you have disease everywhere within your prostate, or even outside of your prostate, our technology’s probably not the best solution,” Kujak explained. “But most cancer—approximately 84%—is contained within the prostate when a patient shows up. For those patients, we would be a good solution.”

With FDA approval now secured, Francis Medical is shifting its focus toward commercial expansion.

Related: Maple Grove Medical Device Company Pioneers New Treatment for Prostate Cancer

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