Golden Helix Awards recognize achievements in Georgia's life sciences sector

August 18, 2025
By Lauren McDonald – Originally published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle


The Georgia Life Sciences advocacy organization will honor numerous Atlanta businesses and other key players in the state's life sciences industry with this year’s Golden Helix Awards. The Golden Helix Awards celebrate “excellence and achievement” across Georgia’s life sciences ecosystem. The recognition honors individuals, companies and institutions “making significant contributions to scientific discovery, health innovation, and economic growth in the state and beyond,” according to the Georgia Life Sciences organization.

Georgia Life Sciences is an Atlanta-based nonprofit that promotes the growth of the life sciences industry and works to connect businesses, academic institutions, government and others to develop products and fuel industry expansion.


“The Golden Helix Awards shine a spotlight on the bold ideas and visionary leaders propelling Georgia’s life sciences sector forward,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, president and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. The state’s life sciences industry supports around 78,000 jobs and includes close to 4,000 companies, according to the nonprofit. A partnership between the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim and the University of Georgia for a Sustainable Development Excellence Certificate Program earned the Phoenix Award, which celebrates an industry and academic collaboration.


A new neuromuscular diagnostic technology called Myomatrix, developed during Muneeb Zia’s studies at Georgia Tech in 2018, will receive the Innovation Award recognizing work that “goes beyond the traditional paradigms and has the potential to significantly impact human health, agriculture or environmental sustainability.” Myomatrix enables researchers to better record muscle activity through minimally invasive access and with cellular-level detail. It’s used by more than 200 researchers globally today.


Numerous Atlanta businesses will also receive Deal of the Year awards, including Andson Biotech for closing a $3.6 million seed round and Micron Biomedical for securing $16 million to expand manufacturing of needle-free vaccine delivery technology and to advance multiple vaccine candidates toward commercialization. The Deal of the Year awards recognize companies making the most significant transactions in the biotech industry over the past year. Moonlight Therapeutics will receive the award for closing its first equity round to advance an allergen immunotherapy platform for treating food allergies. Synaptrix will receive the award in recognition of its $13 million fundraise to develop a drug-free postoperative pain management device. Artelon, a Sandy Springs–based medical technology innovator, is being recognized with this award in celebration of its acquisition agreement with Michigan-based Stryker. And Duracell will be recognized for selecting Georgia as the site of its new North American research and development headquarters. Alimera Sciences, an Alpharetta-based biopharmaceutical company, is being recognized with this award in celebration of its $453 million acquisition agreement with Minnesota-based ANI Pharmaceuticals, which will expand ANI’s global footprint to three commercial rare disease assets.


Benjamin Siciliano with Atlanta-based Radyus Research will receive the Emerging Leader of the Year award, and Amanda Barrett at Marietta High School will earn the Teacher of the Year award. Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, representing the 52nd District in Rome, will receive the Legislator of the Year award.


This year’s winners will be honored at a ceremony Aug. 26 during the Georgia Life Sciences Summit in Sandy Springs.

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Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) has named Georgia #4 among its “Next 5 States” for emerging U.S. biopharma clusters . The article highlights UCB’s planned $2 billion investment at in Gwinnett County, Micron Biomedical’s new Alpharetta facility, Manus Bio’s expansion in Augusta, Science Square, Emory University, the CDC — and Georgia Life Sciences’ 10-year Life Sciences Roadmap . This recognition is exciting. But even more importantly, it validates the work happening across our entire ecosystem — and perfect momentum as we head into the 2026 Georgia Life Sciences Summit next week. Read more by visiting: Next 10 U.S. Biopharma Clusters

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Representing Georgia’s life sciences community, GLS emphasized the importance of advancing policies that improve affordability and patient access while preserving the environment necessary for continued biomedical innovation. In its comments, GLS urged CMS to maintain a framework grounded in FDA regulatory determinations and raised concerns about how certain proposed policies could affect post-approval research and development, investment in new indications, and patient access to innovative therapies. GLS also encouraged CMS to consider the broader implications for healthcare delivery, including the potential impact on patients and providers in rural and underserved communities. As federal drug pricing policy continues to evolve, Georgia Life Sciences will continue to advocate for approaches that balance affordability, access, and innovation while ensuring Georgia’s life sciences community has a voice in the policymaking process. Read Georgia Life Sciences’ full comments to CMS ( click here ).
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