JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than one in 10 Americans live with diabetes. That’s more than 34 million people. Every day, hundreds of diabetics have no choice but to have part of a leg or foot amputated.
The good news is that The Save A Leg, Save A Life Foundation in Ponte Vedra is working hard to bring those numbers down and they just got a big donation. Next Science, a medical tech company based in Jacksonville, has just given the nonprofit a $300,000 product donation that’s really going to help.
“We are determined to reduce lower leg amputations, leveraging all relationships and resources to make this happen,” Dr. Desmond Bell, executive director for The Save A Leg, Save A Life Foundation, said.
“It takes a team approach to fulfill our mission and we are thankful to Next Science for this donation and for the healthcare practitioners providing superior wound treatment care to our communities’ most vulnerable populations,” Bell said.
This gift is part of a $600,000 donation program with 3M Company, the exclusive distributor of BlastX, a breakthrough antimicrobial wound gel that the company says breaks down biofilm and destroys bacteria within the gel defending against reinfection.
“Next Science is dedicated to helping patients and saving lives with our ground-breaking technology to treat chronic wounds,” Next Science Chief Commercial Officer Dustin Haines said. “We are proud to partner with The Save A Leg, Save A Life Foundation and help them provide patients with the superior care they need to enjoy a better quality of life.”
Biofilm, which is a naturally occurring substance, accounts for a significant percentage of hard-to-manage bacterial proliferations worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 80% of infections in humans are located in biofilm. In the U.S., these infections contribute to approximately 500,000 deaths each year and cost an estimated $94 billion to treat.