Company Description
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) is a global medical technology company whose stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BDX. According to its public disclosures, BD is one of the largest medical technology companies in the world and focuses on improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company is classified in the manufacturing sector and is involved in surgical and medical instrument manufacturing, with activities that span medical essentials, connected care, biopharmaceutical systems and interventional solutions.
BD describes its purpose as advancing the world of health by supporting health care professionals on the frontlines. Across its communications, the company emphasizes technologies, services and solutions that help advance clinical therapy for patients and clinical processes for providers. BD reports that it operates across the globe, with a presence in virtually every country, and that it partners with organizations around the world to address challenging global health issues. It also notes that it delivers billions of products annually and employs more than 70,000 people worldwide.
Business focus and operating areas
Based on the company’s own descriptions, BD’s activities cover several broad areas of medical technology:
- Medical discovery and research tools, including flow cytometry and cell analysis platforms such as the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer and related BD Rhapsody™ systems, reagents, software and informatics that are used in immunology, cancer immunotherapy, cell biology and immune profiling research.
- Diagnostics, including molecular diagnostic platforms like the BD MAX™ System and associated assay menus for respiratory and sexually transmitted infection testing, as well as other diagnostic instruments and reagents.
- Delivery of care and medication management, including devices and systems in its Medication Delivery Solutions and Pharmaceutical Systems portfolios, such as prefillable syringes (including the BD Neopak™ Glass Prefillable Syringe platform) and products that support injectable drug delivery.
- Interventional and surgical products, including BD Interventional offerings such as the EnCor EnCompass™ Breast Biopsy and Tissue Removal System and BD Surgery products like Phasix™ Mesh and the BD Surgiphor™ Surgical Wound Irrigation System.
- Safety and contamination monitoring, including the BD® HD Check System used in hazardous drug contamination testing workflows in collaboration with partners such as ChemoGLO™.
In its proxy materials, BD notes that its business has been organized around platforms such as BD Medical, BD Life Sciences and BD Interventional. The Polygon description further indicates that BD Medical represents a substantial portion of the business, with BD Life Sciences and BD Interventional accounting for the remainder. These segments align with the company’s focus on medical surgical products, diagnostic instruments and interventional technologies.
Products and technologies
BD’s disclosures highlight a range of specific technologies and product platforms that illustrate the scope of its medical technology portfolio:
- Medical surgical products: The Polygon description identifies BD as a major manufacturer and distributor of medical surgical products such as needles, syringes and sharps-disposal units, as well as prefilled devices.
- Diagnostic systems: BD manufactures diagnostic instruments and reagents, and offers systems like the BD MAX™ System, a fully automated molecular platform designed for clinical laboratories and hospitals. The BD MAX™ System combines real-time PCR technology with automated nucleic acid extraction, amplification and detection in a single workflow and supports a menu of assays that includes respiratory, enteric, STI, women’s health and health care–associated infection panels.
- Flow cytometry and cell imaging: BD develops flow cytometry and cell-imaging systems, including the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer, which incorporates BD SpectralFX™ Technology for high-parameter spectral analysis and BD CellView™ Technology for real-time cell imaging. These platforms are used to analyze multiple characteristics of single cells and to generate data for immunology and cell biology research.
- Biopsy and interventional systems: The EnCor EnCompass™ Breast Biopsy and Tissue Removal System is described as a state-of-the-art, multi-modality breast biopsy system designed to provide clinicians with flexibility across breast imaging modalities and to support procedural efficiency in the diagnosis of breast disease.
- Surgical and tissue reinforcement products: Phasix™ Mesh is described as a bioabsorbable mesh used for laparotomy reinforcement and hernia prophylaxis in certain markets, reflecting BD’s role in advanced tissue regeneration and hernia prevention strategies.
- Surgical wound irrigation: The BD Surgiphor™ Surgical Wound Irrigation System is a sterile, ready-to-use irrigation solution intended to help loosen and remove debris and reduce bacterial load in surgical wounds, supporting efforts to reduce surgical site infection risk.
- Prefillable syringes and drug delivery: BD’s Pharmaceutical Systems portfolio includes the BD Neopak™ Glass Prefillable Syringe platform, which is described as being designed to meet the needs of biologics and combination products, including compatibility with autoinjectors and support for high-viscosity formulations.
- Hazardous drug contamination testing: The BD® HD Check System provides rapid, point-of-care qualitative testing for hazardous drug contamination on surfaces. Through collaboration with ChemoGLO™, samples collected with the HD Check collection kit can be further analyzed using LC-MS/MS for quantitative results on an expanded panel of hazardous drugs.
Strategic direction and corporate initiatives
In its definitive proxy statement, BD describes a multi-year strategy referred to as BD2025 and a subsequent strategy called Excellence Unleashed. The company states that BD2025 represented a period of organic growth and the development of high-growth platforms, supported by an operating system it calls BD Excellence. As a capstone to this strategy, BD announced an agreement to combine its Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters Corporation, with the intention of transitioning BD to a dedicated medical technology company upon closing of that transaction. BD indicates that this combination is expected to simplify its portfolio and provide shareholders with ownership in a new life sciences company, while also influencing its capital allocation plans.
Under the Excellence Unleashed strategy, BD outlines three strategic priorities:
- Compete: Focusing on growth and customer experience through commercial capabilities, technologies and execution.
- Innovate: Increasing the value and pace of its pipeline in high-growth markets, including the use of AI, robotics and new material science, as described in the proxy statement.
- Deliver: Emphasizing quality, reliable supply and cash flow generation, with operational excellence as a foundation.
These strategic themes are reflected in recent announcements, such as investments in U.S. manufacturing capacity for BD Neopak™ Glass Prefillable Syringes in Nebraska, expansion of diagnostic assay menus on the BD MAX™ System in Europe, collaborations with academic institutions like the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, and the launch of new configurations of BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzers to broaden access to spectral and imaging-based cell analysis.
Global footprint and manufacturing
BD’s news releases state that the company has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations worldwide. It highlights long-standing manufacturing operations in locations such as Columbus, Nebraska, where BD has invested in prefilled syringe production and cannula manufacturing capabilities. The company also notes that it is the largest medical device manufacturer in the United States in connection with its U.S. manufacturing investments, and that it plans significant capital investment in U.S. manufacturing capabilities over a multi-year period.
Internationally, BD references product launches and clinical activities in Europe, including CE-marked indications for Phasix™ Mesh for hernia prophylaxis and the launch of BD Surgiphor™ in select European countries. It also notes that Phasix™ Mesh is registered in the U.K. and available across Europe for broad hernia prophylaxis indications, and that certain prophylactic indications are not in place in the United States. Collaborations with European and U.S. clinical sites, such as the PREVENT trial for incisional hernia prevention, further illustrate BD’s global clinical and research footprint.
Capital markets and corporate structure
BD’s common stock, with a par value of $1.00, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BDX. The company also has multiple series of notes listed on the NYSE, including 1.900% Notes due December 15, 2026, 1.208% Notes due June 4, 2026, 1.213% Notes due February 12, 2036, 3.519% Notes due February 8, 2031 and 3.828% Notes due June 7, 2032, as disclosed in its Form 8-K filings. A Form 25 filing in August 2025 relates to the removal from listing of 0.034% Notes due 2025, and does not pertain to the common stock.
BD is incorporated in New Jersey, as indicated in multiple SEC filings. The company has entered into a senior unsecured revolving credit facility, described in a September 2025 Form 8-K, which provides access to financing for general corporate purposes and includes provisions for letters of credit and swingline loans. BD also maintains employee benefit plans that hold BD common stock, such as the BD 401(k) Plan, and has reported temporary blackout periods for plan participants in connection with transactions involving Waters Corporation.
Research, clinical collaboration and safety focus
BD’s announcements emphasize collaboration with academic and clinical partners and a focus on safety for both patients and health care workers. Examples include:
- A collaboration with the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania to develop a high-parameter flow cytometry panel using the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer and BD Rhapsody™ System, supporting a planned immune profiling study.
- The PREVENT multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluating prophylactic placement of Phasix™ Mesh to reduce incisional hernias in high-risk abdominal surgery patients, conducted across sites in Europe and the United States.
- The BD® HD Check System collaboration with ChemoGLO™, which combines rapid qualitative testing with laboratory-based LC-MS/MS analysis to assess hazardous drug contamination on surfaces in health care settings.
These initiatives align with BD’s stated aim of enhancing outcomes, lowering costs, increasing efficiency, improving safety and expanding access to health care, as repeatedly described in its news releases.
Company status
BD’s SEC filings and recent news indicate that Becton, Dickinson and Company continues to operate as a public company with its common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BDX. The Form 25 filing provided relates specifically to a class of notes (0.034% Notes due 2025) and does not indicate a delisting of the company’s common equity. The company continues to file current reports on Form 8-K, definitive proxy statements on Schedule 14A and other required filings, and to announce product clearances, investments, collaborations and corporate governance developments.