Copyright The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kathy Lee-Sepsick, founder and CEO of Femasys, is blazing a trail in the biomedical industry. Kathy Lee-Sepsick is the founder of Femasys, which makes contraceptive and fertility products, including a nonsurgical, nonhormonal permanent birth control called FemBloc. (Abbey Cutrer / AJC) In Suwanee, nestled between an electronics manufacturer and a pickleball club, sits a nondescript, one-story office building. Though unassuming, past the cubicles and conference rooms are chemistry labs and clean rooms where women’s health care innovations are being developed. This is Femasys, the brainchild and labor of love of Kathy Lee-Sepsick. A trained biochemist with an MBA, Lee-Sepsick founded the biomedical company out of her house in 2004, even doing some of the initial manufacturing from her basement. In Suwanee, nestled between an electronics manufacturer and a pickleball club, sits a nondescript, one-story office building. Though unassuming, past the cubicles and conference rooms are chemistry labs and clean rooms where women’s health care innovations are being developed. This is Femasys, the brainchild and labor of love of Kathy Lee-Sepsick. A trained biochemist with an MBA, Lee-Sepsick founded the biomedical company out of her house in 2004, even doing some of the initial manufacturing from her basement. In the 21 years since launching her company, Lee-Sepsick has raised millions of dollars, taken her company public and invented new cervical cancer screening tools, fertility devices and one of the first nonsurgical, nonhormonal permanent birth controls in the world. In the 21 years since launching her company, Lee-Sepsick has raised millions of dollars, taken her company public and invented new cervical cancer screening tools, fertility devices and one of the first nonsurgical, nonhormonal permanent birth controls in the world. … I“ ,nemow tahw dlot ot ot siht yeht meht taht naht ygolonhcet detrats os os refas thgir ”,won hcum hcum si pleh evah ynapmoc gnirb retteb dna elbissecca ehT kcispeS-eeL .noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ atnaltA nI“ ,yaw ot ot eht taht ”.hctarcs redro ti ni dah morf od dliub tseb I .sraey erehw ot ot eht eht eht tset semitemos flehs nur smoor smoor ytilauq evitcetorp .stcudorp ,stcudorp lanosrep tuo fo fo fo efil sbal sti si esuoh-ni ni ,sretrauqdaeh eot-ot-daeh morf rof yreve neve tnempiuqe seeyolpme naelc yrtsimehc elbmessa tcepsa era lacitylana erehT ylraeN sysameF toof-erauqs-000,05 .sraey erehw ot ot eht eht eht tset semitemos flehs nur smoor smoor ytilauq evitcetorp .stcudorp ,stcudorp lanosrep tuo fo fo fo efil sbal sti si esuoh-ni ni ,sretrauqdaeh eot-ot-daeh morf rof yreve neve tnempiuqe seeyolpme naelc yrtsimehc elbmessa tcepsa era lacitylana erehT ylraeN sysameF toof-erauqs-000,05 An employee at Femasys, which makes contraceptive and fertility products, works at the company's 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Suwanee on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC) krow htiw t’nsaw tnaw rogiv esu owt gniyrt ot ot ot eht ,mret yregrus noitazilirets sksir setaidar tnenamrep noissap nwo ro noitpo ffo fo gnol demrofni .dnabsuh senomroh flesreh ,reh reh reh reh reh gnivah evah snoitartsurf rof rof rof dnif cihte evitcele t’ndid .srethguad lortnoc ynapmoc elbatrofmoc yb tub htrib dna na osla retfa a a ehS s’kcispeS-eeL sraey ,raey nehw erew .edis edis ehs ehs tnenamrep ,dlo ,lacigrusnon lanomrohnon txen doohrehtom gnilgguj detnevni detaroprocni reh pihsruenerpertne srethguad .lortnoc yb htrib dna dna a ehT nI ,sysameF ,colBmeF 7 4 3002 … I“ uoY‘ dluow ,tahw koot siht ehs .dias ,dias yllanosrep ruo ro ,flesym ym ym lacidem woh-wonk wonk si ni ni ni evah slrig rof rof ,secived ”’,elcric ,yrtsimehc yrtsimehcoib hcaorppa enoyna dna na I I I“ ”.sraey erehw nehw s’tahw tnew t’nsaw evitamrofsnart ot ot seigolonhcet detrats stcudorp ro ro fo dlim edam tsuj .tnemevorpmi sderdnuh evah gniog rof od noisiced dluoc egnahc nac neeb dnuora ni-lla a a I I I I I ,sysameF 05 001 )erehw( krow htiw t’nsaw tnaw rogiv esu owt gniyrt ot ot ot eht ,mret yregrus noitazilirets sksir setaidar tnenamrep noissap nwo ro noitpo ffo fo gnol demrofni .dnabsuh senomroh flesreh ,reh reh reh reh reh gnivah evah snoitartsurf rof rof rof dnif cihte evitcele t’ndid .srethguad lortnoc ynapmoc elbatrofmoc yb tub htrib dna na osla retfa a a ehS s’kcispeS-eeL sraey ,raey nehw erew .edis edis ehs ehs tnenamrep ,dlo ,lacigrusnon lanomrohnon txen doohrehtom gnilgguj detnevni detaroprocni reh pihsruenerpertne srethguad .lortnoc yb htrib dna dna a ehT nI ,sysameF ,colBmeF 7 4 3002 … I“ uoY‘ dluow ,tahw koot siht ehs .dias ,dias yllanosrep ruo ro ,flesym ym ym lacidem woh-wonk wonk si ni ni ni evah slrig rof rof ,secived ”’,elcric ,yrtsimehc yrtsimehcoib hcaorppa enoyna dna na I I I“ ”.sraey erehw nehw s’tahw tnew t’nsaw evitamrofsnart ot ot seigolonhcet detrats stcudorp ro ro fo dlim edam tsuj .tnemevorpmi sderdnuh evah gniog rof od noisiced dluoc egnahc nac neeb dnuora ni-lla a a I I I I I ,sysameF 05 001 )erehw( Kathy Lee-Sepsick, the founder of Femasys, talks about her wall of patents at the company's facility in Suwanee on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. Femasys has invented new cervical cancer screening tools, fertility devices and one of the first nonsurgical, nonhormonal permanent birth controls in the world. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC) labut ot ot eht eht etalumis .ymotcegniplas tnenamrep ro snoitpo eno no .eciffo fo fo lacigrusnon larutan setunim ,tekram ekil noitagil .ytilitrefni ni ni elamef enod s’rotcod tnerruc lortnoc sesuac nac htrib eb evitanretla smia a a a s’tI colBmeF colBmeF sebut sebut ot ot ,eussit eussit hguorht eht eht .metsys racs racs .dias remylop fo fo si otni detresni ytilitrefni ecudni morf naipollaf naipollaf etaerc retehtac yb ydob dekcolb esuaceb smia a a kcispeS-eeL colBmeF tuobA %03 dnuow htiw nehw ,sebut sebut ,ebut ot eussit suht neht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht mreps ,dilos llams racs .esnopser ,sniamer gnitneverp remylop remylop remylop fo fo larutan shtnom .gniteem diuqil ti si otni otni edisni seirujni detcejni gnitaitini gnilaeh morf ,sdiulf wef naipollaf .denialpxe gge spord sevlossid setaerc tcatnoc semoc tub s’ydob gnikcolb semoceb dna dna dna na retfa a a a ehT kcispeS-eeL tI tuobA 51 21 labut ot ot eht eht etalumis .ymotcegniplas tnenamrep ro snoitpo eno no .eciffo fo fo lacigrusnon larutan setunim ,tekram ekil noitagil .ytilitrefni ni ni elamef enod s’rotcod tnerruc lortnoc sesuac nac htrib eb evitanretla smia a a a s’tI colBmeF colBmeF sebut sebut ot ot ,eussit eussit hguorht eht eht .metsys racs racs .dias remylop fo fo si otni detresni ytilitrefni ecudni morf naipollaf naipollaf etaerc retehtac yb ydob dekcolb esuaceb smia a a kcispeS-eeL colBmeF tuobA %03 dnuow htiw nehw ,sebut sebut ,ebut ot eussit suht neht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht mreps ,dilos llams racs .esnopser ,sniamer gnitneverp remylop remylop remylop fo fo larutan shtnom .gniteem diuqil ti si otni otni edisni seirujni detcejni gnitaitini gnilaeh morf ,sdiulf wef naipollaf .denialpxe gge spord sevlossid setaerc tcatnoc semoc tub s’ydob gnikcolb semoceb dna dna dna na retfa a a a ehT kcispeS-eeL tI tuobA 51 21 Kathy Lee-Sepsick, the founder of Femasys, holds a diagram for how FemBloc works at the company's facility in Suwanee on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. A liquid polymer is injected into the fallopian tubes, then turns into a solid that irritates that tissue to the point where the body creates scar tissue that will build up enough to block sperm from reaching an egg. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC) s’erehT“ s’ereht s’ereht ,yregrus .dias on on on on on ,snoisicni ,stnalpmi ,senomroh lareneg ”,citehtsena kcispeS-eeL nemow mohw ohw ohw tnaw ogrednu ot esoht rieht tegrat ekat yregrus sees nur ksir .,ycnangerp stneitap ro noitpo fo ekil ni lanomroh rof rof .ylimaf t’nseod ,lortnoc stolc t’nac t’nac doolb htrib eb ta sa era enoyna na osla kcispeS-eeL reH colBmeF lliw ot ot siht eht .remmus .yduts detrats os deruces srotaluger tcudorp tekramtsop stneitap tneitap semoctuo redro wen gnirotinom ni ni ni sah sah raf dereviled ynapmoc lacinilc yb neeb eb eb devorppa dna retfa a a .dnalaeZ detinU ,noinU ehT ehT niapS weN modgniK sysameF colBmeF naeporuE naeporuE 000,004$ s’erehT“ s’ereht s’ereht ,yregrus .dias on on on on on ,snoisicni ,stnalpmi ,senomroh lareneg ”,citehtsena kcispeS-eeL nemow mohw ohw ohw tnaw ogrednu ot esoht rieht tegrat ekat yregrus sees nur ksir .,ycnangerp stneitap ro noitpo fo ekil ni lanomroh rof rof .ylimaf t’nseod ,lortnoc stolc t’nac t’nac doolb htrib eb ta sa era enoyna na osla kcispeS-eeL reH colBmeF lliw ot ot siht eht .remmus .yduts detrats os deruces srotaluger tcudorp tekramtsop stneitap tneitap semoctuo redro wen gnirotinom ni ni ni sah sah raf dereviled ynapmoc lacinilc yb neeb eb eb devorppa dna retfa a a .dnalaeZ detinU ,noinU ehT ehT niapS weN modgniK sysameF colBmeF naeporuE naeporuE 000,004$ ot hguorht eht eht eht llits sutats .dias dnopser tseuqer ,ssecorp no fo ton si gniog rof did tnemmoc .lavorppa lavorppa dna a .S.U ehT kcispeS-eeL dooF colBmeF gurD noitartsinimdA nemow ohw ot ot eht eht eht eht taht emos wodahs suoires dias deviecer tnenamrep eno fo fo fo lacigrusnon -dim dohtem gnol sti .ti si ni seldruh morf ylrae lortnoc snoitacilpmoc desuac htrib lavorppa yldegella a kcispeS-eeL ,erussE s0002 saw saw .sebut ot ot eht eht eht eht eht taht dlos elttes lacituecamrahp yltnenamrep yap no fo on latem ,tekram ytirojam regnol si ni detnalpmi tnaig naipollaf .ecived lioc sesac yb noillib yletamixorppa dna deerga tsniaga a .S.U tI erussE reyaB reyaB 6.1$ nemow ohw ot ot eht eht eht eht taht emos wodahs suoires dias deviecer tnenamrep eno fo fo fo lacigrusnon -dim dohtem gnol sti .ti si ni seldruh morf ylrae lortnoc snoitacilpmoc desuac htrib lavorppa yldegella a kcispeS-eeL ,erussE s0002 saw saw .sebut ot ot eht eht eht eht eht taht dlos elttes lacituecamrahp yltnenamrep yap no fo on latem ,tekram ytirojam regnol si ni detnalpmi tnaig naipollaf .ecived lioc sesac yb noillib yletamixorppa dna deerga tsniaga a .S.U tI erussE reyaB reyaB 6.1$ ”,ylsuodnemert“ ehs .dias seussi evah lavorppa detceffa s’colBmeF s’erussE I“ gnikrow htiw erew saw saw emit eht eht eht taht emas .dias ytefas yllaer erom ynam edam tsuj ti ti ”,seldruh snrecnoc .gnignellahc ta ,gnisira dna kcispeS-eeL tI ADF )erussE( gnikrow ,slairt eht seiduts llits elgnis ehs suoires dias detroper no ton si ni ni sah tneve tub neeb esrevda a .S.U ehS s’colBmeF gnuoy ,sraey htiw .v .v ot ereht eht eht eht eht taht .yduts s’ehs gnikees dias tnecer snoitacifimar tnenamrep denrutrevo fo esaercni ni ni ni sah tlef .noisiced noisiced noitpecartnoc neeb na retfa stluda gnidrocca a s’nemoW notgnihsaW edaW ytisrevinU .S.U emerpuS eoR noitazinagrO kcispeS-eeL noskcaJ nI htlaeH egroeG sbboD truoC ,2202 I“ s’tahw ot siht siht kniht eht ehs .dias erusserp fo erom erom sekam .tnatropmi deneppah nevig teg tlef neve neve enod ”,noisiced esuaceb I sbboD hcihw stcudorp wen detnevni noitanimesni ,ytilitrefni evah sah rof lacivrec ,recnac neeb laicifitra dna osla lla kcispeS-eeL ,colBmeF .devorppa-ADF sediseB saw sebut loot eht eht taht ees dias ,stcudorp tnediserp trap nwo eno fo fo fo tiforpnon erom .yenruoj reh spleh puorg ytilitref naipollaf srotcod ,ylraelc dellac dna a ,ehteoG-rekcahT ,secneicS airaM efiL aigroeG ’sysameF euVmeF OEC gnuoy ,sraey htiw .v .v ot ereht eht eht eht eht taht .yduts s’ehs gnikees dias tnecer snoitacifimar tnenamrep denrutrevo fo esaercni ni ni ni sah tlef .noisiced noisiced noitpecartnoc neeb na retfa stluda gnidrocca a s’nemoW notgnihsaW edaW ytisrevinU .S.U emerpuS eoR noitazinagrO kcispeS-eeL noskcaJ nI htlaeH egroeG sbboD truoC ,2202 I“ s’tahw ot siht siht kniht eht ehs .dias erusserp fo erom erom sekam .tnatropmi deneppah nevig teg tlef neve neve enod ”,noisiced esuaceb I sbboD hcihw stcudorp wen detnevni noitanimesni ,ytilitrefni evah sah rof lacivrec ,recnac neeb laicifitra dna osla lla kcispeS-eeL ,colBmeF .devorppa-ADF sediseB saw sebut loot eht eht taht ees dias ,stcudorp tnediserp trap nwo eno fo fo fo tiforpnon erom .yenruoj reh spleh puorg ytilitref naipollaf srotcod ,ylraelc dellac dna a ,ehteoG-rekcahT ,secneicS airaM efiL aigroeG ’sysameF euVmeF OEC sysameF“ s’nemow dednufrednu ”,detavonni-rednu gnitalsnart eht taht delkcat ecaps cifitneics dias evitcudorper ,dlrow-laer .stcudorp desucof-tneitap fo elbaton gnol si si otni noitavonni ni woh ,htlaeh sah sah taerg elpmaxe .liame ynapmoc ynapmoc neeb dna na a a a s’tahW ehteoG-rekcahT nrob-aigroeG hcihw tahw ot ot rieht eht taht ,ygolonhcet ,putrats hcraeser seriuqer gnisiar esiar no fo yenom lacidem elam ekil si yrtsudni ni dah worg teg noitcarf srednuof elamef tcaf evisnetxe evisnepxe ,od .tluciffid ,tnempoleved evitaerc strapretnuoc evisnetni-latipac egareva yna dna dna dna a a kcispeS-eeL roF .sysameF ddA ,sraey hcihw tnew .yaw erutnev lanoitidart sedart koot ot eht eht eht taht snet tneuqesbus ehs ehs ,etuor sdnuor gnisiar esiar ,cilbup cilbup no no .gnireffo fo fo detten erom snoillim snoillim noillim sti laitini ni ni sah enog morf .gnicnanif ylrae ynapmoc latipac dna qadsaN tI nI ’sysameF sysameF tuB ,1202 6.13$ hcihw tahw ot ot rieht eht taht ,ygolonhcet ,putrats hcraeser seriuqer gnisiar esiar no fo yenom lacidem elam ekil si yrtsudni ni dah worg teg noitcarf srednuof elamef tcaf evisnetxe evisnepxe ,od .tluciffid ,tnempoleved evitaerc strapretnuoc evisnetni-latipac egareva yna dna dna dna a a kcispeS-eeL roF .sysameF ddA ,sraey hcihw tnew .yaw erutnev lanoitidart sedart koot ot eht eht eht taht snet tneuqesbus ehs ehs ,etuor sdnuor gnisiar esiar ,cilbup cilbup no no .gnireffo fo fo detten erom snoillim snoillim noillim sti laitini ni ni sah enog morf .gnicnanif ylrae ynapmoc latipac dna qadsaN tI nI ’sysameF sysameF tuB ,1202 6.13$ Despite rows of boxes of products lining the walls at the Femasys manufacturing facility in Suwanee, founder Kathy Lee-Sepsick says the company still has a ways to go to meet demand for its products. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC) eht eht eht putrats ,egats hcraeser esahp tsap tsap wen si otni ni nworg .are tnempoleved ynapmoc .noitazilaicremmoc dna dna a ,woN s’tI eW“ siht siht .dias ”,tnemom evah rof gnidliub neeb kcispeS-eeL krow pu owt ,noitcart ot ot ot ot eht naht llits duorp stcudorp rehto fo erom erom teem ycagel .evael si si yrotnevni tseretni sah gniworg srenrag niag morf od tluciffid etipsed .dnamed sedaced ynapmoc stneilc ,gnidliub dliub dna a kcispeS-eeL ’sysameF sysameF colBmeF tuB sA eht eht eht putrats ,egats hcraeser esahp tsap tsap wen si otni ni nworg .are tnempoleved ynapmoc .noitazilaicremmoc dna dna a ,woN s’tI eW“ siht siht .dias ”,tnemom evah rof gnidliub neeb kcispeS-eeL krow pu owt ,noitcart ot ot ot ot eht naht llits duorp stcudorp rehto fo erom erom teem ycagel .evael si si yrotnevni tseretni sah gniworg srenrag niag morf od tluciffid etipsed .dnamed sedaced ynapmoc stneilc ,gnidliub dliub dna a kcispeS-eeL ’sysameF sysameF colBmeF tuB sA I“ I“ .nemow nehw tahw tahw ”.yaw ot ot siht eht llits ehs .dias thgir fo ton tol wonk wonk wonk s’ti ti .si si ni tnatropmi woh ”,ereh ,ereh pleh gniog gniog .gniod gniod did eveileb eb a m’I m’I m’I I I I dnA ruoy nemow htiw su eht .snoitseggus enoemos dluohs seires .slanoisseforp tuo ruo fo wen si si ni ni gnithgilhgih moc.cja@yrotsreh ,srednuof erutaef sevitucexe ,srotaerc egarevoc .ytinummoc gnidliub ta ta dna lla .yrotsreh/moc.cja tuoba a a ehT wonK noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ tI ?yrotS+reH yrotS+reH yrotS+reH liamE kcehC atnaltA CJA CJA CJA CJA ruoy nemow htiw su eht .snoitseggus enoemos dluohs seires .slanoisseforp tuo ruo fo wen si si ni ni gnithgilhgih moc.cja@yrotsreh ,srednuof erutaef sevitucexe ,srotaerc egarevoc .ytinummoc gnidliub ta ta dna lla .yrotsreh/moc.cja tuoba a a ehT wonK noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ tI ?yrotS+reH yrotS+reH yrotS+reH liamE kcehC atnaltA CJA CJA CJA CJA
