Latest Medtech News
Francis Medical, a Minnesota-based developer of the Vanquish water vapor ablation system, has secured an undisclosed investment from Johnson & Johnson’s venture arm, JJDC. The funding will support a new premarket approval (PMA) application, along with expansion of the company’s commercial teams and physician training programs.
As an executive search partner to the MedTech industry, Guided Solutions keeps a close eye on stories like this one. Subscribe to our Industry Insights for weekly coverage.
Vanquish is a transurethral system guided by ultrasound and electromagnetic tracking. Its 510(k) clearance covers the thermal ablation of targeted prostate tissue anywhere in the gland, and the FDA has not evaluated it for the treatment of prostate cancer. Francis is now seeking a prostate cancer management indication through the PMA pathway.
The company reported its first commercial cases in February, with the first in Austin, Texas, and says it is moving from a limited launch to a broader U.S. presence. Its pivotal VAPOR 2 trial, published this summer in The Journal of Urology, reported 91% clearance of MRI-visible prostate cancer among 110 treated patients, with no major device-related complications. Francis raised $80 million in a Series C in January 2025.
For Francis, the JJDC investment pairs financing with a larger industry backer as it works toward the cancer indication. For the broader MedTech space, it adds to investment in focal and minimally invasive options for prostate cancer, a field where the standard treatments carry well-known side effects.
