BD and Penn Institute for Immunology and Immune Health Collaborate to Advance Immunotherapy through Flow Cytometry

Rhea-AI Summary

BD (NYSE:BDX) announced a strategic collaboration with the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania to develop and validate a high-parameter flow cytometry panel and support a planned 1,000-patient immune profiling study expected to start this summer.

The project will use the BD FACSDiscover A8 Cell Analyzer, BD Rhapsody system, BD reagents, software and informatics; BD will manage reagents, instrumentation and spectral data algorithms while Penn will serve as scientific and clinical leads. The panel aims to measure 30+ cellular characteristics, including phosphorylation markers, and the team intends to publish a peer-reviewed manuscript.

Positive

• Planned 1,000-patient study to advance deep immune profiling
• Panel designed to capture 30+ cellular characteristics including phosphorylation markers
• BD FACSDiscover A8 will enable spectral and real-time cell imaging
• BD supplying instruments, reagents, software, and spectral data algorithms
• Team intends to publish results in a peer-reviewed manuscript

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Cellular characteristics 30+ characteristics BD FACSDiscover A8 Cell Analyzer capabilities

Study size 1,000 patients Planned immune profiling study with Penn I3H and Colton Center

Market Reality Check

$195.59 Last Close

Volume Volume 2,556,457 vs 20-day average 2,009,861 (relative volume 1.27x) indicates elevated trading ahead of this news. normal

Technical Price at 195.36 is trading above the 200-day MA of 190.01, suggesting a pre-news position above longer-term trend support.

Peers on Argus

BDX slipped -0.52% with mixed peer moves: ALC +0.27%, WST +1.47%, BAX +1.53% versus RMD -0.43% and HOLX -0.17%, pointing to stock-specific rather than broad sector momentum.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 15	Assay expansion	Positive	-1.9%	IVDR-certified VIASURE assays added to BD MAX respiratory and STI testing.
Dec 04	Safety collaboration	Positive	+0.1%	Collaboration with ChemoGLO to expand hazardous drug contamination testing.
Dec 03	Product launch	Positive	+1.6%	New BD FACSDiscover A8 configurations to broaden access to advanced cell analysis.
Nov 24	Product rollout	Positive	-0.9%	European launch of BD Surgiphor wound irrigation system after CE approval.
Nov 18	Automation partnership	Positive	+0.7%	Pharmacy automation partnership using BD Rowa Vmax with Henry Ford Health.

Pattern Detected

Recent product and partnership news for BDX has often seen modest price reactions, with a slight bias toward positive alignment but notable instances of selloffs on positive headlines.

Recent Company History

Over the last month, BD has focused on collaborations and product expansions. On Dec 15, 2025, it expanded IVDR-certified VIASURE assays for the BD MAX System, with shares down 1.85%. Earlier in December, BD announced a hazardous drug testing collaboration with ChemoGLO and new BD FACSDiscover A8 configurations, with small positive moves of 0.10% and 1.63%. November news on the European launch of BD Surgiphor and a pharmacy automation partnership also drew modest reactions. Today’s immune-profiling collaboration fits this ongoing theme of incremental innovation and partnerships.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights BD’s strategic collaboration with the Penn Institute for Immunology and Immune Health to apply high‑parameter flow cytometry and immune profiling in a planned 1,000-patient study. It reinforces BD FACSDiscover A8’s ability to analyze 30+ cellular characteristics and deepens ties with leading academic research. In context with recent collaborations and product launches, investors may watch for concrete study outputs, peer-reviewed publications, and further adoption of BD’s advanced cell analysis platforms.

Key Terms

flow cytometry medical

"developing and validating a high-parameter flow cytometry panel that can capture"

A laboratory method that uses lasers and sensors to count and analyze individual cells or tiny particles as they flow past a detector, like a high‑speed supermarket scanner that reads barcodes on each item. Investors care because flow cytometry is widely used in drug development, diagnostics and manufacturing quality control; demand for the instruments, reagents and services can signal progress in clinical programs, recurring revenue streams and adoption of new therapies or tests.

phosphorylation markers medical

"including phosphorylation markers, which provide powerful insight into how single cells"

Phosphorylation markers are measurable signs that a protein has had a small chemical group (a phosphate) attached, which often changes the protein’s activity like flipping a biological light switch. Investors care because these markers show whether a drug or disease is affecting the intended cellular pathway, serving as evidence of target engagement, proof of mechanism, or a diagnostic signal that can influence clinical trial results, regulatory decisions, and company valuation.

single cells medical

"provide powerful insight into how single cells respond to drugs or disease states"

Single cells are individual biological units of life studied one at a time rather than in bulk tissue; think of examining each house on a street instead of averaging activity across the whole neighborhood. For investors, single-cell data reveal how specific cells respond to disease or treatment, helping companies identify precise drug targets, predict trial success, develop diagnostics, and reduce scientific uncertainty that can affect a company's value.

spectral technical

"first cell analyzer featuring breakthrough spectral and real-time cell imaging technologies"

Relating to a spectrum — the range of wavelengths, frequencies or components that make up a signal, material or measurement. Investors care because spectral methods break complex information into its parts (like a prism separating colors), revealing hidden patterns or traits in products, tests or data that can indicate quality, risk or likely future performance.

cell imaging medical

"featuring breakthrough spectral and real-time cell imaging technologies"

Cell imaging is the process of taking detailed pictures or videos of living or fixed cells using specialized microscopes and cameras to watch their structure, behavior and responses to treatments. For investors, it's important because those images provide direct evidence about whether a drug, diagnostic or lab technology works as intended, helping estimate how quickly a product can advance, how risky development is, and whether a company’s science is credible.

single-cell systems medical

"ecosystem of industry-leading BD flow cytometers, single-cell systems, reagents, software"

Single-cell systems are laboratory and computational tools that examine individual cells one by one, measuring characteristics like gene activity or protein levels instead of averaging results across many cells. Investors care because this fine-grained view can reveal clearer drug targets, more precise diagnostics and better patient selection, potentially speeding development, reducing clinical failure and increasing a product’s market value—like inspecting each brick rather than judging a whole wall.

informatics technical

"BD reagents, software and informatics, with BD teams managing reagents"

Informatics is the practice of collecting, organizing and turning large sets of data into useful information using software and rules, often in fields like healthcare or business. For investors, it matters because better information systems act like a reliable map and traffic report for a company: they speed decision-making, reduce costly errors, improve product development and regulatory tracking, and can therefore influence revenue, costs and risk.

immune profiling medical

"advance research in deep human immune profiling and support the development"

A detailed examination of the cells, proteins and signals that make up an individual’s immune system, producing a snapshot or “fingerprint” of how that system is behaving. For investors, immune profiling matters because it helps predict which therapies are likely to work, guides patient selection and clinical trial design, and can reduce development risk or unlock higher commercial value for treatments that can be targeted to the right patients.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer to Enable Investigation of 30+ Cellular Characteristics to Capture Key Biological Insights and Support Planned 1,000-Person Immune Profiling Study

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Dec. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced a strategic collaboration with the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H) at the University of Pennsylvania, to advance research in deep human immune profiling and support the development of immune-mediated therapies.

The collaboration includes developing and validating a high-parameter flow cytometry panel that can capture key functional pathways in whole blood, including phosphorylation markers, which provide powerful insight into how single cells respond to drugs or disease states. The panel will support a planned 1,000-patient immune profiling study, in partnership with the Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity, expected to start this summer. The project will leverage the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer, BD Rhapsody™ System, BD reagents, software and informatics, with BD teams managing reagents, instrumentation, and spectral data algorithms, and I3H teams serving as scientific and clinical leads. The team intends to publish a peer-reviewed manuscript describing the results of the study.

"This project demonstrates the power of collaboration between academia and industry," said Dr. E. John Wherry, PhD, the Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President's Distinguished Professor, director of the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania, and the director of the Colton Consortium for Autoimmunity. "We are bringing together cross-functional experts to transform human immune profiling for maximum impact, enabling deeper insights from our immune cells that could accelerate development of precise medical treatments."

The collaboration reflects a shared vision of unlocking the power of the human immune system to advance science and health. It is made possible by the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer, which is the first cell analyzer featuring breakthrough spectral and real-time cell imaging technologies, and the new BD Horizon™ Chroma solution for dried high-parameter panels. The project supports the commitment of both organizations to contribute to the research community through collaboration and knowledge sharing.

"High-parameter single-cell studies of this kind, once considered infeasible, are increasingly becoming central to better understanding the human immune system," said Steve Conly, worldwide president of BD Biosciences. "Our ecosystem of industry-leading BD flow cytometers, single-cell systems, reagents, software and informatics, provide a critical missing puzzle piece that can support the important work of organizations like I3H to translate and deliver immunological insights into quantitative, actionable information for discovery and clinical care teams around the world."

More information is available at bdbiosciences.com.

About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its more than 70,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/, X (formerly Twitter) @BDandCo or Instagram @becton_dickinson. 

Contacts:
Media:	Investors:
Fallon McLoughlin	Adam Reiffe
Director, Public Relations	VP, Investor Relations
201.258.0361	201.847.6927
fallon.mcloughlin@bd.com	adam.reiffe@bd.com
Media for Penn Medicine:
Eric Horvath
Associate News Director
Penn Medicine
215-821-4289
Eric.horvath@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

 

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SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)

FAQ

What is the scope of the planned 1,000-patient immune profiling study with BD (BDX)?

The study plans to profile 1,000 patients using a high-parameter flow cytometry panel to measure 30+ cellular characteristics, including phosphorylation markers.

When will the BD and Penn 1,000-patient immune profiling study begin for BD (BDX)?

The collaboration says the study is expected to start this summer (announced Dec 18, 2025).

Which BD technologies will be used in the Penn collaboration (BDX)?

The project will use the BD FACSDiscover A8 Cell Analyzer, BD Rhapsody system, BD reagents, software and informatics.

What data capability does the BD FACSDiscover A8 provide for the BD (BDX) study?

BD FACSDiscover A8 offers breakthrough spectral and real-time cell imaging technologies to support high-parameter single-cell analysis.

Who will lead the scientific and clinical aspects of the BD (BDX) collaboration with Penn?

The Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H) at the University of Pennsylvania will serve as the scientific and clinical leads.