Becton, Dickinson and Company Opens New Manufacturing Facility in Suzhou, China to Produce Rapid Diagnostic Products

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, will celebrate today the opening of its second world-class manufacturing facility in Suzhou. The new BD Diagnostics facility produces rapid diagnostic products for flu and viral infections, responding to the need for clinical testing and rapid diagnosis. The facility, which is expected to support an estimated 700 jobs in the local community when operating at full capacity, is located in Suzhou Export Processing Zone District B in the Suzhou Industrial Park. The products manufactured at the new facility are used to diagnose infectious diseases such as influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Over time, BD expects to expand the range of diseases these products can diagnose to include additional bacterial, parasitic and viral diseases. These products will be sold in regions around the world, including Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. BD constructed its first facility in Suzhou Industrial Park in 1995 to support the BD Medical business.The second facility, supporting BD Diagnostics, is expected to begin production during BD’s second quarter of 2008.