Georgia Bio Statement on BD Sterilization Plant In Georgia

Closure May Lead to Medical Device Shortage & Impact Patients

October 25, 2019 06:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time

ATLANTA–( BUSINESS WIRE)–Georgia Bio member companies are dedicated to improving patients’ lives-enhancing patient safety and expanding patient access to innovative treatments. Public health and environmental protection are central to the values of the life sciences community. Our member companies continually strive to exceed regulations and reduce their environmental footprint.

We are very concerned with the potential shut down of BD’s Covington facility over the use of EtO. Ethylene oxide is the safest, and sometimes, only method for ensuring the sterilization of medical devices for clinicians and patients. Approximately 50% of all medical devices are sterilized using EtO, accounting for more than 20 billion devices annually in the U.S. Many of our members manufacture devices and products that cannot be sterilized by any other means due to their complex nature, including pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, cardiac catheters, biopsy instruments and surgical fixation devices and vascular access devices including PICCs, midlines and ports. BD is the largest supplier of urinary catheters that are used in almost every surgical procedure that takes longer than 2 hours. They are also one of the only suppliers for pediatric vascular access devices used to deliver chemotherapy to children with cancer.

Georgia Bio believes policy makers have an obligation to protect the public from harmful emissions from any source, and we believe all industrial facilities in our state should meet or exceed safety standards. We support an open and transparent debate regarding EtO that is grounded in scientific fact, but caution that a hasty decision to close this facility or severely restrict the use of ethylene oxide would endanger the health of thousands, possibly even millions, of patients who are relying on sterile medical products.

About Georgia Bio

Georgia Bio is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) trade association whose mission is to advance the growth of Georgia’s life sciences industry and foster strategic partnerships that can create a healthier world. Georgia Bio member companies are dedicated to improving patients’ lives – enhancing patient safety and expanding patient access to innovative treatments. Public health and environmental protection are central to the values of the life sciences community. Georgia Bio members include bioscience and medtech companies, academic and research institutions, life science service providers, digital health companies, and related organizations. For more information, visit  www.gabio.org  or follow us on  Twitter @Georgia_Bio.

Contacts

Joseph Santoro 
404-334-7538 
jsantoro@gabio.org

Georgia Life Sciences Applauds Congressman McCormick for Introducing Federal Biotech Leadership Legislation

July 24, 2026
July 24, 2026, Atlanta, GA - Georgia Life Sciences applauds Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA) for introducing the Biotechnology Diplomacy Leadership Act , legislation designed to strengthen America's leadership in biotechnology by establishing a senior biotechnology leadership position within the U.S. Department of State. As biotechnology continues to drive breakthroughs in healthcare, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and national security, the United States must remain a global leader in innovation while strengthening strategic partnerships with allies around the world. The proposed legislation recognizes biotechnology as a critical component of U.S. economic competitiveness and foreign policy and would help ensure that the federal government is well positioned to advance these priorities internationally. The legislation also reflects recommendations from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology , which called for a more coordinated national approach to advancing biotechnology and protecting U.S. leadership in this strategically important sector. "Georgia is home to one of the nation's fastest-growing life sciences ecosystems, and policies that strengthen America's global biotechnology leadership directly benefit innovators, researchers, manufacturers, and patients," said Maria Thacker Goethe, President & CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. "We appreciate Congressman McCormick's leadership in recognizing biotechnology as both an economic engine and a strategic national priority." Georgia Life Sciences looks forward to working with policymakers at both the federal and state levels to advance policies that foster innovation, strengthen the U.S. bioeconomy, and ensure America remains the global leader in biotechnology.

Georgia Life Sciences Names Renee' Martin, Ph.D., Program Manager to Lead Flagship Educator Workforce Development Program

July 21, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences names Renee Martin, Ph.D., to lead its Teacher Training Initiative, advancing educator workforce development and Georgia's future life sciences talent pipeline.

Georgia Life Sciences Partnership Expands Plant Biotechnology Education for Agriscience Teachers Across Georgia

July 17, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  July 16, 2026 ATLANTA, Ga . – Eighteen Georgia high school agriscience teachers recently participated in a hands-on plant tissue culture training at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, equipping educators with biotechnology skills and classroom resources that will expand access to experiential STEM learning for students across the state. Hosted through a partnership led by Georgia Life Sciences (GLS), the workshop was facilitated by Julie Throne, Agriscience Teacher, FFA Advisor, and CTAE Department Chair at Cedar Shoals High School. Participants received practical instruction in plant tissue culture techniques using newly developed portable tissue culture kits generously donated by California-based Athena Ag. Plant tissue culture is a foundational biotechnology technique used in agriculture and plant science research to propagate plants under aseptic conditions. By incorporating these concepts into agriscience classrooms, educators can provide students with hands-on experiences that introduce biotechnology while building technical skills relevant to careers in agriculture and biotechnology. As part of the workshop, each participating teacher received two complete plant tissue culture kits to take back to their school, enabling students throughout Georgia to engage in laboratory-based biotechnology activities and explore emerging career pathways in the life sciences. "Providing educators with access to industry-relevant training and classroom resources is one of the most effective ways to inspire the next generation of Georgia's life sciences workforce," said Maria Thacker Goethe, President & CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. "Through partnerships like this, we're helping teachers bring real-world biotechnology into their classrooms while expanding opportunities for students to discover careers in one of Georgia's fastest-growing industries." The training is part of Georgia Life Sciences' broader Teacher Training Initiative, a statewide workforce development program that equips middle and high school educators with the knowledge, tools, and industry connections needed to deliver hands-on biotechnology instruction. Through strategic partnerships with industry, education, and nonprofit organizations, the initiative continues to strengthen Georgia's talent pipeline by connecting classroom learning with real-world workforce opportunities. Georgia Life Sciences extends its appreciation to Julie Throne for leading the training and to Athena for its generous donation of classroom kits, helping expand access to biotechnology education for educators and students across the state.
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