CLARIFICATION: GCMI Design and Development was not sold to Veranex

Veranex did not acquire GCMI. They acquired the preclinical testing arm, T3 Labs, only.

Earlier this year, we shared the news that T3 Labs, the preclinical testing arm of GCMI, was sold to Veranex.

 

Due to a high number of ecosystem colleagues who have asked us directly, we are compelled to again share the following: 

 

Veranex did not acquire GCMI. They acquired the preclinical testing arm, T3 Labs, only.

 

GCMI has not been “taken private,” as we have heard colleagues state verbatim. 

 

To restate: Veranex did not acquire GCMI. 

 

Indeed, our comprehensive design and development entity is fully intact as an affiliate of Georgia Tech working every day to bring new technologies out of the labs of researchers, faculty and clinicians and into the realm of clinical care to improve patient outcomes, value provision and lives.

 

“Our mission is to help direct the development, testing, and commercialization of innovative medical devices that improve quality based outcomes and delivery of healthcare for patients,” GCMI Interim Executive Director Saylan Lukas wrote in January. “Helping to produce powerful, positive impacts on patients’ lives involves translating research from the lab to the clinic, including clinical trials, first in human studies and other required activities for FDA approval. We do this in support of Georgia Tech faculty, students and the ecosystem at large, and we do it every single day.

 

The dedicated team of engineers and medtech product development experts at GCMI works to support innovators from every background in the spectrum: from individual clinicians to researchers, faculty and students in engineering spaces with strong application to new medical technologies, to industry stalwarts and hospitals with high potential centers for medtech innovation like Children’s Philadelphia and Emory / CHOA.

 

As a Georgia Tech affiliate, we do this from our home base right here in midtown Atlanta a short distance from Science Square. Right here in Atlanta, Georgia, home to the world’s busiest airport, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, funding mechanisms and supporters like the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), dozens of institutions of higher education including the nation’s top ranked biomedical engineering program and world-class hospitals and health systems. Every single attribute of a high performing center for medtech innovation lives here.

 

Our pathway expertise includes: market analysis, IP landscape & freedom to operate, Design History File (DHF) generation including prototyping, 3D printing, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), associated design verification and validation testing, human factors and useability testing, regulatory pathways, requirements and FDA submission data and manufacturing transfer. We are also capable of serving as “manufacturer of record” for first in human use, clinical trials and initial low volume commercialization of novel medical technologies.

 

You can see the impact and efficacy of our work in the success of innovators making an impact like Scott Hollister, PhD and his live saving pediatric airway technology, Jud Ready, PhD and Hub Hygiene, James Rains and Kamil Makhnejia at Jackson Medical, Omer Inan, PhD and DetectIV and NFANT Labs among scores of others.

 

If you have not done so, please follow GCMI’s new LinkedIn feed.

 

In the recent words of two customer colleagues

“Based on deep experience and variety in products supported, GCMI knows the requirements for commercialization across the breadth and depth of new medical technologies from the simplest to the most complex. But they know what’s even more important. They know what a technology needs to be within those requirements to actually be successful in the clinic and in the market.

 

“We can’t get where we want to go, as efficiently and effectively as we need to get there without GCMI.” – Kamil Makhneija, Founder and CEO, Jackson Medical

 

“The quicker you ask and answer the most relevant, pressing, potentially costly questions, the more cost efficient your work will be, not to mention preventing headaches and heartache down the road. GCMI does it every day. They are agile, responsive and can often solve problems with minimal input given their expertise and experience. They absolutely accelerated our commercialization pathway.” – Jud Ready, PhD, Founder & CEO, Hub Hygiene

 

Get in touch & Source: https://gcmiatl.org/2024/06/04/clarification-gcmi-design-and-development-was-not-sold-to-veranex/

BIO Statement on the Section 232 Pharmaceutical Proclamation

April 4, 2026
April 2, 2026- WASHINGTON, D.C. – John F. Crowley, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) , released the following statement on Section 232 Pharmaceutical Proclamation. “A thriving American biotechnology ecosystem is essential to growing the U.S. economy, strengthening national security, and improving the health and well‑being of everyday Americans. While we appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the need for tariff exemptions for certain critical biotech products, the reality is that any tariffs on America’s medicines will raise costs, impede domestic manufacturing, and delay the development of new treatments - all while doing nothing to enhance our national security. “U.S. biotech companies have been eager to expand investments here at home, but tariffs, along with an uncertain policy environment and efforts to force “most‑favored nation” schemes, work directly against that goal. The risks are especially acute for small and mid‑size biotech companies, which develop more than half of all FDA‑approved medicines yet often lack the capital to build dedicated manufacturing facilities as they weather an industry defined by high costs, long development timelines, and significant risk. “The fact is: tariffs divert scarce resources away from research and development, weaken American biotech against China’s rising industry, and ultimately, harm health and economic wellbeing of Americans. “We stand ready to work with the Administration on a long‑term strategy that encourages biotechnology investment, reduces the time, cost, and uncertainty of developing new medicines, expands U.S. biomanufacturing capacity, and ensures American innovation is fairly valued overseas. Tariffs and MFN are not the answer." Source - https://www.bio.org/press-release/bio-statement-section-232-pharmaceutical-proclamation

Georgia Life Sciences Announces 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge Winner

April 1, 2026
Atlanta, GA (April 1, 2026) – Georgia Life Sciences (GLS) is proud to announce that Saisurya Lakkimsetti, a junior at Lakeside High School in Columbia County, has been named the winner of the 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge took place, as part of the statewide Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. Forty-seven students from across Georgia competed for this year’s title and cash prize. Jaehyeon Lee, an 11th-grade student from Walton High School, was named runner-up in this year’s competition. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge recognizes outstanding high school students who are conducting innovative biotechnology research with real-world applications. This year’s top projects, presented in the Global Healthcare Challenge track, demonstrated exceptional scientific rigor and forward-thinking potential in addressing critical healthcare challenges. Saisurya’s research focuses on identifying potential inhibitors for Endocan, a protein known to play a role in glioblastoma tumor growth. Using advanced computational modeling techniques—including AlphaFold and molecular docking tools—she screened thousands of small molecules to identify compounds that may block tumor-promoting signaling pathways. Her work identified several promising candidates that could serve as a foundation for future drug development targeting glioblastoma. Jaehyeon’s project investigates how varying glucose concentrations affect regeneration in planaria, modeling impaired wound healing in diabetic conditions. By testing graded glucose environments and measuring regeneration indicators such as growth and differentiation, Jaehyeon demonstrated that lower glucose levels enhance regeneration while higher levels inhibit healing. The study establishes a model to better understand hyperglycemia’s impact on diabetic wound healing. “The work by these students is a powerful example of the innovation and determination we see in Georgia’s next generation of life sciences leaders,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “The BioGENEius Challenge is critical because it provides students with a platform to apply cutting-edge science to real-world problems, while also strengthening the future workforce that will drive breakthroughs in healthcare, biotechnology, and beyond.” The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge is part of Georgia Life Sciences’ broader commitment to advancing workforce development and fostering innovation across the state’s rapidly growing life sciences ecosystem. Judging the 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge: Ian Biggs; Ralph Cordell, CDC; Alex Harvey, ViaMune; Jamie Graham, Smith Gambrell Russell; and Evan Scullin, LuminiSci.

Georgia Life Science's Feature in Very First Atlanta Edition of Inside Medicine

March 24, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences is thrilled to be featured in the very first Atlanta edition of Inside Medicine . This inaugural issue represents something truly special. Atlanta’s healthcare and life sciences community is driven by innovation, collaboration, and outstanding leadership—and we’re honored to be part of this exciting launch. Also in the issue, GLS's Kennedy Dumas is featured, sharing her journey on how observation and research evolved into a powerful practice of journaling. As the founder of Stationery Black, she creates notebooks designed to showcase, uplift, and inspire people of color. Read the full article here.
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