GenCell Biosystems acquired by Becton, Dickinson and Company

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, announced today that it has acquired GenCell Biosystems, a privately-held Irish biotech company that has developed proprietary technologies that address key biological analysis protocols – from library preparation of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to genotyping for agricultural applications.

"We are excited with the GenCell Biosystems acquisition as it provides BD entry into the Next Generation Sequencing market, a fast-growing segment with the potential to have a significant impact on healthcare," said Linda Tharby, Group President, BD. "The acquisition gives BD access to the NGS market with a differentiated platform that will provide a base to further grow our genomics offerings."

GenCell is an Enterprise Ireland-supported company whose headquarters and manufacturing are based in Limerick, Ireland, and operates a U.S. marketing, sales and service group in Madison, WI. Founded in 2011, GenCell has created an automated platform that has the potential to address key unmet customer needs in library preparation for Next Generation Sequencing.

Kieran Curran, CEO and founder of GenCell, commented, "We are looking forward to joining with BD to provide great solutions for our current and future customers in Next Generation Sequencing. In a short amount of time we have been able to move CLC technology from concept to product. We believe we will now be able to scale up and introduce further transformative innovation in NGS-related segments."

Financial details on the acquisition are not being disclosed at this time. The expected impact of this transaction will be reflected in guidance that will be communicated on BD's fourth quarter earnings call.