• buy 
• sell $
• about
• My DOTmed 

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue has announced that four of Georgia's leading research and health care organizations are collaborating to create a new center that will "accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation medical devices and medical technology." Governor Purdue says that the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) is the first of its kind in the Southeast and will include a comprehensive medical device prototyping center. GCMI is a not-for-profit institution that will have its own governing board with representatives from partners and stakeholders.

"By bringing together these public and private resources, we have provided a strong foundation for accelerating the growth of the medical device and medical technology industry in Georgia," Governor Perdue said. "This partnership demonstrates the strengths Georgia provides industry through collaborations among its research universities, health care organizations and the Georgia Research Alliance."

Governor Purdue announced the news about the GCMI during a press conference in the Georgia Pavilion at the 2009 BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the global biotechnology community, recently held in Atlanta, GA.

The GCMI will be supported by the Georgia Institute of Technology, Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute (SJTRI), Piedmont Healthcare and the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA). According to the press release, the new center will feature a complete medical device marketplace including universities, research centers and clinicians; drug and device companies; investors, and early-stage companies.

"The convergence of the life sciences with engineering provides a unique opportunity to expand our technology in areas that will support the health care industry of the future," said G. P. "Bud" Peterson, president of Georgia Tech, in the press release. "The Global Center for Medical Innovation will bring together in one location the key infrastructure needed to rapidly move new medical devices and new medical technologies to market."

The press release says the GCMI will include a complete medical device prototyping center which will carry the capability to produce evaluation devices using "good manufacturing practices" mandated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The GCMI will also be able to handle intellectual property aspects from the partner organizations and interested private companies.

The Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute, the research division of Saint Joseph's Health System, will contribute the capability for preclinical studies of new medical devices and technologies, including a comprehensive set of services for developing, testing and prototyping.

Adapted from a press release from Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue's office.