Fresenius Kabi USA Acquires US Pharmaceutical Plant and Ready-to-Administer Drugs from BD

On Jan 8, 2016

Franklin Lakes-based Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD)  and Fresenius Kabi USA have announced that Fresenius Kabi has acquired the BD Rx business, which includes a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Wilson, N.C., and the BD Simplist™ line of seven drugs in ready-to-administer prefilled glass syringes.

Fresenius Kabi and BD have also signed a 10-year supply and distribution agreement under which Fresenius Kabi will supply BD with a portfolio of intravenous solutions. Both BD and Fresenius Kabi plan to offer a range of IV solutions in the U.S. beginning in 2016.

Financial and contractual terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

Prefilled injectable medicines are designed to help improve patient care and safety by decreasing the number of steps in the traditional vial and syringe injection sequence, reducing the potential risk of medication error.

“Ready-to-administer, prefilled syringes are a growing segment in health care due to increased focus on medication safety and labor-saving efficiency,” said John Ducker, president and CEO of Fresenius Kabi USA. “They are a natural complement to our portfolio, enabling us to offer customers more choices and a broader range of specialty injectable medicines in vials as well as ready-to-administer presentations.”

The North Carolina plant, which employs about 100 people, features advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging technologies, and was approved by the FDA in 2012. It currently produces seven drugs in ready-to-administer prefilled syringes and has capacity for future growth. Fresenius Kabi expects to invest in the facility over time, making it a global center of excellence for prefilled syringe production, the company said. The two companies will work together to assure a smooth transition for employees and customers.

“We believe Fresenius Kabi is a better owner for the BD Rx business, because it complements their existing capabilities in the injectable pharmaceutical industry,” said Tom Polen, president of BD’s Medical Segment.  “In addition, we look forward to working with Fresenius Kabi to extend our medication management strategy through the addition of a portfolio of IV fluids, which will broaden our clinical and economical end-to-end solutions for our customers and their patients.”

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