BD’s passion for continuous improvement–embodied in one of its core values, “We always seek to improve”–will only grow stronger. Complementing its capacity for ongoing progress, the Company’s history is highlighted by significant leaps forward–some of which are captured by the milestones in this Annual Report. What of tomorrow’s advances?

     The future is taking shape at BD Technologies, located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. In addition to its own multi-disciplinary scientific staff in the areas of advanced drug delivery, advanced diagnostics and cell engineering, BD Technologies utilizes collaborations, venture investments and incubation of promising start-up companies as means to advance R&D programs.

     Strategically, BD Technologies’ efforts are aligned with BD’s goal of bringing higher-value, differentiated products to market. To reach this goal, BD Technologies has three requirements for promising technologies:

• Provide novel solutions to healthcare problems to create strong intellectual property positions.
  
• Those novel solutions should translate into multiple, substantive opportunities.
  
• The development process is managed with vigorous diligence.
  

     BD Technologies’ work has a strong link to BD’s existing lines of business.

     For example, in advanced drug delivery, BD Technologies is developing novel technology platforms that are intended to combine minimally invasive features with the goal of improving drug efficacy, resulting in faster therapeutic response. Research results indicate that these systems may offer signifi-cant therapeutic advantages, including faster absorption into the blood stream, increased bio-availability and minimized pain.

Much of the focus is on biopharmaceuticals and vaccines, including insulin and biodefense vaccines, both therapeutic and preventive.

     The Company is already in the market with advanced drug delivery products. An example is the BD Accuspray, an innovative nasal drug delivery system that is used to administer FluMist^TM, the first FDA-approved nasal spray influenza vaccine, manufactured by MedImmune Vaccines, Inc.

     In the emerging field of cell engineering, BD Technologies is looking at ways to provide an ample, properly performing and safe supply of cells. Applications include chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer in which organs, tissues and cells do not function properly. Cell-based therapies utilize the regenerative power of human cells–but today’s technologies don’t offer an adequate source of functioning cells. BD Technologies is developing ways to create greater quantities of the target cells for research and therapy using proprietary technology.

The BD microinfuser is being developed as a wearable, disposable and prefillable infusion device delivering biopharmaceuticals, insulin or other drugs through arrays of microneedles about the size of a human hair.