July 8, 2020 -- Becton Dickinson (BD) formed a strategic partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop new manufacturing lines for injection devices that will provide the U.S. government with hundreds of millions of syringes and needles to support pandemic vaccination efforts.
Under the partnership, BARDA will invest $42 million to further expand BD's operations and manufacturing capacity in Nebraska. The total capital investment will be $70 million. The new capacity is expected to be online within 12 months and once completed BARDA will have priority access to injection devices.
BD has also agreed to supply 50 million needles and syringes to be delivered by the end of December 2020 to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the U.S. This order will be fulfilled through BD's current manufacturing capacity and will support Operation Warp Speed.
Moreover, the Defense Production Act designation on the initial order enables BD to seek priority access to raw materials for manufacturing, and the company also expects enhanced logistics support from the U.S. government to ensure rapid transport and distribution.