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.

Georgia Life Sciences Weighs In on PBM and 340B Policy

October 5, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences has submitted written comments to the Georgia House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumers’ Access to Prescription Medications, encouraging greater transparency, accountability, and a focus on measurable patient benefit across the prescription drug system. The comments address both pharmacy benefit manager practices and the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, emphasizing the importance of understanding where prescription drug savings accrue and whether those savings ultimately benefit patients. The Study Committee continues its work this fall as it develops recommendations for the Georgia General Assembly. Read Georgia Life Sciences’ full comments →

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.
MORE POSTS