Philips and Profound Medical to expand access to prostate cancer treatment

Philips has announced a new partnership that will make a prostate cancer innovation from Profound Medical compatible with its technology.

The joint development agreement will introduce support for Profound Medical's proprietary TULSA (Transurethral Ultrasound Ablation) technology, designed to treat patients with prostate cancer, on Philips' Ingenia and Achieva 3T MRI systems.

With the minimally invasive TULSA technique, which involves whole gland ablation of the prostate, patients can achieve outcomes comparable to the best current treatment options in a single session, with fewer side effects and a higher quality of life.

Profound Medical plans to release 12-month data from a 30-patient safety and feasibility study of the technology soon, with the goal of obtaining CE mark approval and commercialisation of TULSA-PRO in Europe and Canada in 2016.

Christopher Busch, general manager for magnetic resonance therapy at Philips Medical Systems, said: "We look forward to teaming with Profound Medical to refine the integration of our technologies and drive clinical research and reimbursement efforts, with the ultimate objective of improving clinical performance and enhancing the patient experience."