Georgia Bio Members Take Advantage of the Abundant Networking and Partnering Opportunities at BIO 2019

Georgia Bio was delighted to attend the 2019 BIO International Convention in Philadelphia from June 3rd to June 6th. During the four days of programming and exhibitions under the theme, “It Starts with One,” Georgia Bio and some of its members had the opportunity to continue their mission of advancing the growth of Georgia’s life science industry by fostering new and existing relationships with like-minded organizations. 

The 2019 BIO International Convention included 126 educational sessions, more than 800 speakers, over 250 company presentations, 1,800 exhibitors, and plenty of networking and partnering opportunities. Among the 17,300 attendees at this year’s event were both Georgia life science companies and Georgia Bio members, PainCareLabs and Recro Gainesville.

Dr. Amy Baxter, founder and CEO of PainCareLabs in Atlanta, spoke positively about her experience exhibiting at the 2019 Convention and on the support that the State of Georgia was able to provide their affiliated companies that allowed them to take full advantage of their time at the convention. 

“Georgia did everything right,” explained Baxter. “They had a gorgeous booth, offered strong support so we could focus on networking, and executed great planning in advance.

“It may seem odd to be a medical device company at a bio/pharma event, but our devices work in conjunction with pharma products to block the pain of their injections and everyone was interested in how we could make the patient journey better for their patients. The explosion in the biosimilars market means companies want a way to differentiate their product and support.” 

Amy also noted that the female to men ratio at Convention was significantly higher compared to other industry conferences that she has attended, including J.P. Morgan, and there were several female CEOs that visited their booth. This year, BIO was able to break their own Guinness World Record for “The Largest Business Partnering Event” – previously set at BIO 2018 – by participating in over 48,500 partnering meetings at this year’s convention. Gaining access to an environment that facilitates this many networking and partnering opportunities is exactly why companies like PainCareLabs look forward to attending the annual event. 

“BIO is all about deals and we were able to get our first purchase order just 7 days after the show,” said Baxter. “We would definitely attend again!”

Tara Lorenz, Senior Marketing Manager at Recro Gainesville , also expressed her company’s enthusiasm for the event and the support that was provided to Georgia organizations. 

“Many attendees were excited to see the State of Georgia represented at BIO 2019 and approached our booth to learn about Recro Gainesville’s capabilities as a Contract Drug Manufacturing Organization,” stated Lorenz.  

“By attending and exhibiting at events such as BIO 2019, we have the opportunity to learn and reflect on how recent innovations and advances in technology could have a global impact to address unmet medical needs and increase the number of approved orphan drugs and rare disease medications worldwide.”

Lorenz also elaborated on the value of events like BIO that bring together large groups of innovators who don’t normally have the opportunity to collaborate on a day-to-day basis.

“This kind of collaboration is so instrumental for sharing best practices and fostering advancement in healthcare,” she explained. “These new conversations that develop into trusted relationships could advance a new molecule all the way to FDA approval and result in novel therapies for future generations. Events like this one truly help set the stage for manufacturing and commercializing new life saving medications for patients.” 

Georgia Bio loved the opportunity to partner with the State of Georgia on the Georgia Pavilion to help drive growth for our members and Georgia’s biosciences industry at the BIO International Convention, and we are looking forward to BIO 2020 in San Diego! For more information on Georgia Bio and our mission, visit www.gabio.org or follow us on Twitter @Georgia_Bio . 

Georgia Life Sciences Joins National Coalition Urging Congressional Action on Key Innovation Policies

December 10, 2025
Georgia Life Sciences has joined 43 state and regional life sciences organizations in signing a national Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) letter calling on Congress to take immediate action on three bipartisan policy priorities that are essential to sustaining U.S. leadership in biomedical innovation and supporting patients nationwide. With Congress back in session and several critical programs at risk of expiring, the letter urges congressional leaders to advance the following provisions without delay: 1. Reauthorize the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PPRV) Program The PPRV program has been instrumental in incentivizing the development of therapies for children with rare and life-threatening conditions. Its lapse threatens to slow or halt research that families across the country are counting on. 2. Extend the SBIR/STTR Programs The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide crucial early-stage capital for emerging biotech and medtech companies—many of them in Georgia. Without reauthorization, hundreds of innovative small businesses face uncertainty, jeopardizing new therapies, diagnostics, and technologies in the pipeline, 3. Advance PBM Transparency Reforms Greater transparency and accountability within pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices are needed to ensure that savings reach patients and employers. Reforming PBM operations is essential to strengthening access and affordability across the healthcare system. A Unified Message from the Life Sciences Community The sign-on letter reflects broad, bipartisan alignment across the national life sciences ecosystem: researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, patient advocates, and state associations all share a common message— these programs underpin America’s global competitiveness and are vital to patients who rely on continued scientific progress. Georgia Life Sciences has shared the letter with members of Georgia’s congressional delegation and will continue engaging with policymakers to emphasize the importance of swift action.

GLS Joins Georgia Partners in Calling for Federal PBM Reform

December 7, 2025
Georgia Life Sciences is proud to stand with patient advocates, providers, and employers across the state in urging Congress to take meaningful action on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. We recently signed on to a joint letter to Georgia’s Congressional Delegation stressing the urgent need for transparency, fair practices, and policies that ensure savings flow directly to patients.

GLS’ President and CEO, Maria Thacker Goethe in December's issue of Georgia Trend

December 4, 2025
Georgia Life Sciences’ CEO, Maria Thacker Goethe shares her perspective on the value of Georgia’s research universities in this month’s issue of Georgia Trend. “Georgia research institutions have felt a very significant impact from the federal rollbacks, specifically in NIH and NSF funding. Thacker Goethe’s message about the impact of research cuts is simple: Disruption shatters the foundational trust researchers have in grant continuity….” To read the full article, click here .
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