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/

Georgia Life Sciences Joins National Coalition Calling for PAHPA Reauthorization

September 22, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences (GLS) has joined more than 80 organizations from across industry, academia, public health and the biosecurity community in calling on congressional leaders to fully reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) before the end of 2026. Led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the coalition urged congressional leaders to advance a comprehensive reauthorization of PAHPA, the federal framework that supports the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies and other health security threats. First enacted in 2006, PAHPA established and strengthened critical components of the nation’s health security infrastructure, including the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The law also supports public-private partnerships involved in the research, development, manufacturing and procurement of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. PAHPA’s authorization expired in 2023 and key provisions have since continued through short-term extensions. The coalition is calling for a comprehensive reauthorization that provides greater stability and ensures the nation’s preparedness infrastructure can continue adapting to emerging biological, infectious disease and other health security threats. For the life sciences industry, these programs are particularly important. Partnerships between government and industry can help move promising technologies from research through development and manufacturing while maintaining capabilities needed to respond quickly during an emergency. The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), also a signatory to the letter, has identified several priorities for reauthorization, including continued authorization of BARDA, the Strategic National Stockpile, Project BioShield and the Pandemic Influenza Program, as well as incentives supporting the development of medical countermeasures. Georgia Life Sciences is proud to join organizations across the country in supporting a strong and sustainable national framework for health security, preparedness and biomedical innovation. Read the coalition letter and view the full list of signatories.

Georgia Life Sciences Urges Protection of Patient Access as Georgia Implements Medicaid Changes

September 14, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences has submitted comments to the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) regarding the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program and implementation of new federal Medicaid requirements. As Georgia prepares for these changes, Georgia Life Sciences is urging state leaders to prioritize continuity of care and minimize unnecessary administrative barriers that could delay or disrupt access to medically necessary treatment . This is particularly important for Georgians living with serious, chronic, rare, and medically complex conditions who may rely on ongoing medications, diagnostics, therapies, medical technologies, specialty care, and coordinated treatment plans. Even temporary disruptions in coverage can interrupt care and create additional challenges for patients and families. In its comments, Georgia Life Sciences encouraged DCH to protect continuity of coverage during eligibility and redetermination processes, provide patients and caregivers with clear and timely information, minimize unnecessary administrative burdens, and establish appropriate safeguards when a coverage disruption could interrupt an established course of treatment. “As Georgia implements these new federal requirements, we want to ensure that patients remain at the center of the process,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, MPH, President & CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “Administrative changes should not become barriers between patients and the care they need. Protecting continuity of care is particularly important for Georgians managing serious and complex health conditions.” Read Georgia Life Sciences’ full comments to DCH here.

White House Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Deal with Nine Additional Pharmaceutical Manufacturers to Lower Drug Prices for Americans

August 31, 2026
The White House, August 31, 2026 - ADVANCING MOST-FAVORED-NATION (MFN) PRICING: Today, President Donald J. Trump announced nine new agreements with pharmaceutical manufacturers to lower prescription drug prices for Americans in line with the lowest prices paid by other developed nations (known as the most-favored-nation, or MFN, price). The agreements bring the total number of pharmaceutical manufacturers with MFN deals to 26, covering 89% of the branded drug market. The nine manufacturers are comprised of mid-sized pharmaceutical companies, including Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and UCB. The agreements reduce prices on drugs that treat numerous costly, chronic, and even rare diseases, including hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, liver disease, skin conditions, and various forms of cancer. The agreements will provide every State Medicaid program in the country access to MFN drug prices on products made by the nine companies, resulting in billions of dollars in savings for Americans and continuing President Trump’s historic efforts to strengthen the program for the most vulnerable. The agreements ensure foreign nations can no longer use price controls to freeride on American innovation by guaranteeing MFN prices on all new innovative medicines the nine companies bring to market. Each of these manufacturers has agreed to fundamentally rebalance international drug pricing by providing MFN pricing to American patients. BOLSTERING AMERICA’S PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY CHAINS AND RESERVES: These nine pharmaceutical manufacturers committed to invest at least $19.6 billion collectively in U.S. manufacturing in the near term. Additionally, as part of the MFN agreements, several companies are donating active pharmaceutical ingredients for key products to the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve (SAPIR) to reduce reliance on foreign nations and ensure the United States has an adequate supply of such products in the event of an emergency. UCB will contribute 163 tons of levetiracetam, an anticonvulsant used to control and prevent certain types of seizures, to the SAPIR. Sun Pharma will contribute 71.4 tons of clindamycin and 6.75 tons of doxycycline; both antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, to the SAPIR. Teva Pharmaceuticals will contribute 45 metric tons of metronidazole, an antibiotic and antiprotozoal used to treat certain bacterial and parasitic infections, and 4.8 tons of amlodipine, an antihypertensive drug, to the SAPIR. Astellas will contribute 25 kg of tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant used to prevent organ rejection in people who have had organ transplants, to the SAPIR. LOWERING COSTS FOR AMERICANS: President Trump’s decisive and historic actions are lowering drug prices for the American people. Since its February launch, patients have saved more than $700 million on medicines through TrumpRx, including massive discounts on some of the most popular and costly medications used to treat obesity and infertility. In July of 2026, senior citizens without access to GLP-1 coverage to treat obesity gained access for just $50 per month. In the two months since the launch of this program, over 500,000 seniors have saved a total of $216 million dollars on these life-changing medicines. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates the total savings from President Trump’s MFN deals to reach $600 billion over the next decade. DELIVERING ON PROMISES TO PUT AMERICAN PATIENTS FIRST: President Trump is delivering on promises for American patients, accomplishing historic wins that the political establishment did not believe were possible. On May 12, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled: “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients” directing the Administration to take numerous actions to bring American drug prices in line with those paid by similar nations. On July 31, 2025, President Trump sent letters to 17 of the leading pharmaceutical manufacturers outlining the steps they must take to bring down the prices of prescription drugs in the United States to match the lowest price offered in other developed nations. There are now MFN deals with each of those leading pharmaceutical manufacturers. On September 30, 2025, President Trump announced the first agreement, with the drug manufacturer Pfizer, to bring MFN prices to American patients. On December 1, 2025, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Health and Human Services announced an agreement with the United Kingdom (U.K.) that will increase the net price of new prescription drugs by 25% in the U.K., helping ensure they pay their fair share for innovative medicines. On December 19, 2025, President Trump announced nine new agreements with major pharmaceutical companies. On February 5, 2026, President Trump launched TrumpRx.gov , where patients can access large discounts on many of the most popular and highest-priced medicines in the country, paying prices in line with the MFN price. As of today, August 31, the Administration now has agreements with Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, EMD Serono, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, Regeneron, Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and UCB. President Trump is calling on Congress to enact the Great Healthcare Plan , a comprehensive plan to lower drug prices, lower insurance premiums, hold big insurance companies accountable, and maximize price transparency. Source: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Deal with Nine Additional Pharmaceutical Manufacturers to Lower Drug Prices for Americans – The White House
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