BD to Acquire Cellular Research to Develop a Leading Genomics Platform for Single Cell Analysis

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Aug. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- BD Life Sciences, a segment of leading global medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), today announced it has completed the acquisition of Cellular Research, Inc.

BD is a global leader in characterizing and isolating single cells for analysis, with more than 30 years of experience in developing cell sorting technologies, known collectively as flow cytometry. This acquisition sets the stage for the next generation of commercial tools in the field of single cell genomic analysis, widely acknowledged by leading academic and industry researchers as the next frontier of biological discovery and clinical advancement. Cellular Research has developed advanced tools for massively parallel single cell genetic analysis based on their proprietary Molecular Indexing technology to enable gene expression profiles from single cells.

Combined, the BD and Cellular Research technologies provide researchers an integrated sample prep workflow to quantify and study gene expression in large numbers of individual cells, enabling higher resolution biology. The comprehensive workflow is intended to enable researchers to make new discoveries in single cell analysis, promoting the understanding of the genomic diversity of single cells and helping to identify new approaches for targeted clinical diagnostics and therapies in important fields such as immunology, immune-oncology and personalized medicine.

"The acquisition of Cellular Research, combined with our existing cell sorting technology, will provide our customers with a more complete and simplified workflow solution for single cell analysis," said Linda Tharby, executive vice president and president of BD Life Sciences. "The addition of Cellular Research builds on our GenCell acquisition and underscores BD's commitment to a genomics strategy focused on next generation sequencing (NGS) sample preparation."

Since September 2014, BD and Cellular Research have had a collaboration to develop single cell analysis workflows for Cellular Research's Precise product line and BD's FACS^™ instruments and software. The collaboration resulted in a study presented at Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) Meeting that demonstrated the combined workflow enhances the detection and quantification of gene expression in single and/or multiple cell samples.

"Integrating BD's single cell sorting capabilities and world-leading expertise with our next generation single cell genomic technologies will provide researchers with a scalable, cost-effective approach to high resolution gene expression studies," said Stephen Fodor, Ph.D., chief executive officer and co-founder of Cellular Research. "We are excited about the possibilities we can offer researchers by combining our expertise, and believe it has the potential to meet several unmet needs in single cell genomics research."

Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About BD 
BD is a leading medical technology company that partners with customers and stakeholders to address many of the world's most pressing and evolving health needs. Our innovative solutions are focused on improving medication management and patient safety; supporting infection prevention practices; equipping surgical and interventional procedures; improving drug delivery; aiding anesthesiology and respiratory care; advancing cellular research and applications; enhancing the diagnosis of infectious diseases and cancers; and supporting the management of diabetes. We are more than 45,000 associates in 50 countries who strive to fulfill our purpose of "Helping all people live healthy lives" by advancing the quality, accessibility, safety and affordability of healthcare around the world. In 2015, BD welcomed CareFusion and its products into the BD family of solutions. For more information on BD, please visit www.bd.com.

About Cellular Research, Inc.
Cellular Research, Inc. is a biotechnology research and development company founded by innovators from Silicon Valley and Stanford University. Our mission is to develop and commercialize a new generation of highly sensitive life science technologies and products. In addition to introducing a portfolio of research products, the Company has an active partnership program with pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies advancing clinical applications. For more information, please visit http://www.cellular-research.com/ and follow us on Twitter @Cell_Research.

This press release contains certain estimates and other forward-looking statements (as defined under Federal securities laws) regarding the acquisition of Cellular Research, Inc. These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words "believe", "expect" or other words of similar meaning in conjunction with statements regarding the potential impact of the acquisition. 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, factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to: the ability to successfully integrate Cellular Research's operations and programs with BD's and the time and resources required to do so; difficulties inherent in product development and delays in product introductions; the extent of market acceptance of the Cellular Research products and other competitive factors; pricing and market pressures; as well as other factors discussed in BD's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do 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 and Company)