BD to acquire HandyLab

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX) announced today that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire HandyLab, Inc., an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company that develops and manufactures molecular diagnostic assays and automation platforms. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close during the first quarter of fiscal year 2010. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Consistent with BD's stated acquisition strategy, and building upon a previously announced development and distribution agreement between BD and HandyLab earlier in 2009, the acquisition would further extend BD's commitment to the novel HandyLab instrumentation technology to support BD's molecular diagnostics strategy.

"HandyLab has developed and commercialized a flexible automated platform for performing molecular diagnostics which is an ideal complement to our molecular diagnostics offerings," said Vincent A. Forlenza, BD President. "We believe this new platform enables both our healthcare-associated infections offering and future expansion into other molecular opportunities."

BD plans to place its BD GeneOhm(TM) molecular assays for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) onto the HandyLab platform and market them as the new BD MAX(TM) system. The flexibility of this novel platform will allow further expansion of the BD molecular diagnostic menu.

BD senior management will address this announcement during the Company's fiscal fourth quarter earnings call on November 4, 2009, which will be broadcast live on BD's website, www.bd.com/investors, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).