BD Closes on 6th Acquisition for Fiscal 2021

It looks like Becton Dickinson & Company has been stacking up acquisitions lately. The Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based company said it has acquired Tepha, in its sixth deal of the 2021 fiscal year, for an undisclosed sum.

Lexington, MA-based Tepha has developed GalaFlex, a bioresorbable scaffold for soft tissue support and to repair, elevate and reinforce deficiencies where weakness or voids exist that require the addition of material to obtain the desired surgical outcome. The acquisition would help drive innovation and growth for BD’s surgical mesh portfolio.

"This strategic acquisition advances BD's category leadership in surgical mesh and enables future innovations to provide new solutions to physicians and their patients," said Kevin Kelly, worldwide president for BD Surgery. "Tepha's proprietary polymer is used in BD's current Phasix Mesh products and is the key technology that enables our products to provide short-term support for soft tissue repairs, while enabling rapid tissue ingrowth and reabsorbing into the body over time. The acquisition — including its current and potential applications — will help ensure BD can continually provide physicians with the latest technology to treat their patients."

One of BD’s acquisitions occurred a little more than a week ago.  The company said it was acquiring  Velano Vascular for an undisclosed sum. Velano Vascular has a needle-free technology, which enables high-quality blood draws from existing peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) lines.

The deal would help bring BD closer to its vision of "One-Stick Hospital Stay.”

The Tepha acquisition comes on the heels of BD announcing it would spin off its diabetes unit into a publicly-traded business. The diabetes unit has a rich history that dates back to 1924 when BD introduced the world’s first specialized syringe.

The spin-off is set to be completed in the first half of 2022.