Defender: On a Mission to Solve the Global Crisis of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

As published in the SV October 2024 Newsletter

Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) affect approximately 18.6 million people worldwide each year, including 1.6 million new cases every year in the United States alone. DFUs are a recurring, chronic health problem, not just one-time events: over 85% of DFU patients experience a recurrence within 5 years. And DFUs often lead to complications and profound, life-altering disabilities: in the US alone, over 130,000 amputations each year are tied to diabetes.

Currently, there are no therapies to reverse motor or sensory loss, so patients with DFUs often continue to apply pressure to damaged areas, typically by walking. Offloading devices are essential for reducing this pressure and promoting healing. Dr. Jason Hanft, DPM, Founder and CEO of Foot Defender, has created a better way to heal DFUs: Defender’s Smart Boot™ features eight advanced offloading technologies in a user-friendly design, significantly lowering foot pressure and healing DFUs in 5.3 weeks or less.

With the Smart Boot™, Foot Defender, Heel Defender, the Defender Cast Extension, and cloud services for capturing and monitoring patient data, Dr. Hanft and his team are creating a comprehensive disease management platform for patients with DFUs. They are making significant progress, with 50% revenue growth projected for 2024 vs. 2023, their highest-revenue month ever recorded in September 2024, and back-to-back monthly increases of over 50% in online sales alone. 

Defender’s Subscription Service is Delivered via the DFU Patient Platform

For more information about Defender, click here or contact Mitchell Hauser at mhauser@svrglobal.com to set up a time to speak with Dr. Hanft.