BD is a medical technology company engaged principally in the manufacture and
sale of a broad range of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic
products used by healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories,
industry and the general public.
BDs operations consist of three worldwide business segments: BD Medical (Medical)
(formerly BD Medical Systems), BD Diagnostics (Diagnostics) (formerly BD Clinical
Laboratory Solutions) and BD Biosciences (Biosciences).
BD Medical
The major products in this segment are hypodermic syringes and needles for
injection, insulin syringes and pen needles and blood glucose monitoring systems
for diabetes care, infusion therapy devices, prefillable drug delivery systems
and surgical blades and scalpels. This segment also includes specialty blades
and cannulas for ophthalmic surgery procedures, anesthesia needles, critical
care systems, elastic support products and thermometers.
BD Diagnostics
The major products in this segment are clinical and industrial microbiology
products, sample collection products, specimen management systems, molecular
diagnostic instruments and other diagnostic systems, including immunodiagnostic
test kits. This segment also includes consulting services.
BD Biosciences
This segment provides integrated systems, products and services for a variety
of applications in life sciences. The major products are flow cytometry systems
for cell analysis, monoclonal antibodies for biomedical research,
molecular biology products for the study of genes and their functions, cell
growth and screening products, and labware products.
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
BDs products are manufactured and sold worldwide. The principal markets for
BDs products outside the United States are Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific, Canada
and Latin America. The principal products sold by BD outside of the United States
are hypodermic needles and syringes, insulin syringes and pen needles, diagnostic
systems, VACUTAINERr brand blood collection products, HYPAKr brand prefillable
syringe systems, and infusion therapy products. BD has manufacturing operations
outside the United States in Brazil, China, France,
Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Singapore, Spain, Sweden
and the United Kingdom.
Foreign economic conditions and exchange rate fluctuations have caused the
profitability from foreign revenues to fluctuate more than the profitability
from domestic revenues. BD believes its activities in some countries outside
the United States involve greater risk than its domestic business due to the
foregoing factors, as well as local commercial and economic policies and political
uncertainties.
COMPETITION
A number of companies, some of which are more specialized than BD with respect
to particular markets, compete in the medical technology field. In each such
case, competition involves only a part of BDs product lines. Competition in
BDs markets is based on a combination of factors, including price, quality,
service, reputation, distribution and promotion. Ongoing investments in research,
quality management, quality improvement, product innovation and productivity
improvement are required to maintain an advantage in the
competitive environments in which BD operates.