BD Diagnostics and Biodiversity Collaborate to Develop Portfolio of Assays on the BD MAX™ System

BALTIMORE and BRESCIA, Italy, Aug. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BD Diagnostics, a segment of global medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), and Biodiversity SpA, a private biotechnology company focusing on molecular diagnostics, announced today a regional collaboration to develop and commercialize a comprehensive molecular diagnostic menu for immunocompromised patients on the BD MAX™ System.  This portfolio will be designed to improve monitoring of infections in transplant patients and will accelerate BD's time to market with the BD MAX platform's open-capability architecture.

"This collaboration combines the BD MAX System's advanced automation and open system capabilities with Biodiversity's broad portfolio and track record at bringing to market molecular assays for the management of transplant patients," said Tom Polen, President, BD Diagnostics -- Diagnostic Systems. "This will empower laboratories with a new choice to improve the efficiency, accuracy and speed to diagnose these types of infections. Our collaboration with Biodiversity also represents another milestone in developing the BD MAX System as the platform of choice to meet our customers' current and future molecular needs."

Following a transplant, patients are typically treated with drugs designed to suppress their immune system to prevent rejection. In this immunocompromised state, patients can be at high risk for infection.  Early and accurate diagnosis of infection is often essential to monitor and protect patient health following a transplant procedure. Assays developed under the collaboration for the BD MAX System can expand testing capabilities for molecular laboratories with the ability to run many different assays and samples simultaneously, which can lead to faster testing results and potentially earlier diagnosis for patients.

"With molecular testing established as the standard of care for managing transplant patients, the BD MAX System will allow testing to be conducted with a standardized and fully automated workflow.  At Biodiversity, our extensive assay experience in molecular transplant diagnostics is ideally positioned to capitalize on the technological advantages of the BD MAX System, making it possible to deliver a major advance in terms of efficiency, accuracy and ease-of-use for laboratories," said Giovanni Mantero, Chief Executive Officer, Biodiversity SpA.

Under the terms of the agreement, Biodiversity will develop a portfolio of molecular assays for the detection of infections in immunocompromised patients using the BD MAX System's open architecture.  Assays developed through this collaboration are intended to be CE marked for sale and distribution in Europe, with future expansion to additional regions.

According to Polen, BD plans to bring new assays to the BD MAX System in a broad range of disease categories.  With this announcement, there are now more than 15 assays in the BD MAX System's content-rich menu pipeline. Combined with open capability, full automation and standardized workflow, the BD MAX System will enable laboratories to consolidate and standardize their molecular tests to build programs that meet both their current and future clinical needs.

About BD

BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

About Biodiversity SpA

Biodiversity was founded in 2002 by a group of managers and researchers spanning twenty years-experience in molecular diagnostics and biotechnology. United by a common commitment to new technologies for life science, the company is focused on molecular diagnostics as their core business, with a unique model providing integrated solutions to multiple molecular diagnostic-related areas. The Company's mission is the development, production and commercialization of new molecular diagnostics products, services and technologies in the biomedical and clinical diagnostics, veterinary and animal science, agriculture and agro-food, and industrial microbiology.  For more information, please visit www.biodiv.it.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements (as defined under Federal securities laws) regarding BD's performance, including future product development. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "plan", "intend" or words of similar meaning in conjunction with statements of future performance. All such statements are based upon current expectations of BD and involve a number of business risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from anticipated results described, implied or projected in any forward-looking statement. With respect to forward-looking statements contained herein, a number of factors could cause actual results to vary materially from any forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to:  difficulties inherent in product development and delays in product introductions; the unknown consequences of the recently-enacted healthcare reform in the United States, including potential reduced demand for BD's products; adverse changes in regional, national or foreign economic conditions, including any impact that may result from the current global economic situation on BD's ability to access credit markets and finance its operations, the demand for BD's products and services, or its suppliers' ability to provide products needed for BD's operations; competitive factors; pricing and market pressures; increases in energy costs and their effect on, among other things, the cost of producing BD's products; fluctuations in costs and availability of raw materials and in BD's ability to maintain favorable supplier arrangements and relationships; new or changing laws impacting BD's business or changes in enforcement practices with respect to such laws; and future healthcare reform, including changes in government pricing and reimbursement policies or other cost containment reforms. BD does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof except as required by applicable laws or regulations.

SOURCE BD-Becton Dickinson