Defender Takes Steps Toward Preventative Care for Diabetic Foot Ulcers Through Its Unique Treatment Platform

A leg is amputated every 30 seconds globally, and up to 85% of amputations are due to complications of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). This global tragedy calls for strategic and preventative solutions—a demand Defender responds to through its innovative approaches to early detection, comprehensive monitoring, patient engagement, and measurement of compliance.

Defender has created a comprehensive disease management solution for patients with DFUs, the platform tackles the rising issue in the United States, where around 130,000 amputations each year are tied to diabetes. Although diabetic ulcers typically affect the feet, they can also develop elsewhere. For instance, hand complications are rare compared to foot complications, with a ratio of 1:20. While they occur on both body parts at similar rates, diabetic ulcers are more likely to appear in the weight-bearing areas of the foot (i.e., the heel, ball, and tips of bent toes). The wounds are difficult to heal due to the continuous pressure of walking, and they remain open and create a breeding ground for infection without effective intervention. The prognosis is grim for those who undergo an amputation, as it has a five-year mortality rate similar to many cancers.

For many patients, a DFU is not a one-time occurrence. Most experience five or more in a lifetime. According to Dr Jason Hanft, founder of Defender, this is why DFUs should be treated as a chronic disease and not an acute one.

Therefore, Defender’s mission is to address the root causes of DFUs and improve patient outcomes. It has developed the Defender DFU Patient Platform to provide a continuum of care that shifts away from traditional reactive treatments. Focusing on prevention, early intervention, and long-term management, it combines remote patient monitoring, compliance measurement, AI-driven analytics, and wearable smart devices.

Defender’s flagship product, the Smart Boot™, is easy to use, stylish, and reduces pressure on the foot to facilitate faster wound healing. It uses advanced materials and engineering to offload up to 50% more pressure from the foot than other products, giving patients the best chance of recovery. This combination of design and function, makes it more likely for patients to adhere to their treatment plans.

Once the wound has healed, Defender introduces the Cloud 9 to help with the transition. This product is a comfortable and protective clog that takes the same offloading principles from the Smart Boot™. It applies them in a less restrictive form to allow patients to continue protecting their feet without compromising comfort.

These innovative products are connected through Defender’s disease management platform, the key components are the Sensoria Core® and the smart watch app. This enables caregivers to monitor patient adherence to treatment protocols, using the cloud-based dashboard. The dashboard reports activity levels, steps taken, device usage, and compliance to ensure patients wear their Smart Boot™ or other devices as prescribed.

In addition, the Smartwatch provides behavioral feedback. It sends reminders when a patient deviates from their treatment plan. For instance, if a patient removes the Smart Boot™ for long periods, the system automatically sends a text alert for them to put it back on. The caregiver is notified when the patient doesn’t comply, enabling timely intervention. The platform’s AI-driven algorithms also allow it to analyze data to provide actionable insights for personalized care. This means users receive tailored interventions based on their behaviors and healing progress.

These innovations are the combined effort of the Defender team and the Sensoria team to help fill the gap in the treatment of DFUs. Patients with DFUs are usually passed from doctor to doctor, each specializing in a different aspect of their care. “A primary care doctor might prescribe antibiotics, but when the ulcer doesn’t heal, the patient is referred to an endocrinologist. Then, the patient might be transferred to a wound care specialist, followed by a podiatrist for offloading treatment. The system is so fragmented that the necessary care is delayed or missed, leading to delays in healing and unnecessarily high levels of complications,” Hanft explains.

The Defender DFU Patient Platform aims to be a hub for managing all aspects of diabetic foot care, from wound prevention to post-treatment monitoring—a seamless continuum of care.

Responding to the common critique of DFU treatments, Dr. Hanft states: “Many blame the patients for their condition, pointing to poor lifestyle choices like diet or lack of exercise. But many health conditions, such as heart disease or cancer, can also be linked to lifestyle factors. This doesn’t stop us from offering effective treatments. The Defender DFU platform allows for patient engagement, practitioner oversight, better uniformity of care, and lower incidence of non-compliance. Patients are no longer left on their own to make medical decisions and choose products that they have little to no knowledge about, with Defender offering an effective alternative to the current, ineffective, system.”

As the company fulfills its mission of becoming the go-to brand for diabetic foot care, it welcomes like-minded individuals and entities to spearhead the movement in mitigating DFUs. Defender believes collaboration is key to scaling its solutions and reaching more patients globally. It can turn the tide on the devastating complications of diabetes, saving thousands of limbs and lives every year with the right partnerships. The forward-thinking company seeks strategic partners and investors to join it in addressing these life-altering problems by further developing the Defender Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) Patient Platform.