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BD Diagnostics Announces Multi-Year Agreement With Quest Diagnostics for BD Viper(TM) System

Posted on: Thursday, 23 February 2006, 15:00 CST

BALTIMORE, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) , today announced the signing of a multi-year agreement with Quest Diagnostics to supply instrumentation and reagents for testing and diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

"We are pleased that the BD Viper(TM) platform has met the challenging quality and automation standards at Quest," commented Bill Kozy, President of BD Diagnostics. "Our ongoing commitment to offer molecular testing that is easier and more efficient is a key element of our goals to expand our molecular position."

This enterprise-wide adoption of the BD Viper System by Quest Diagnostics takes full advantage of the BD Viper System's robust industrial-class robotic design. Pipetting, incubations, amplification and detection all occur on the deck of the BD Viper System, with the majority of labor delegated to the robot. The BD Viper System minimizes technologist hands-on-time, enabling walkaway or "load and go" workflow. The new system is expected to help facilitate rapid turn-around of test results and provide more flexibility in sample types for testing.

The BD Viper System incorporates a SCARA* robot that delivers extremely robust performance by eliminating all pumps, syringes and reagent tubing, a major weakness of earlier-generation molecular automation. The BD Viper System automates most of the manual and semi-automated steps of the BD ProbeTec(TM) System, which utilizes the proven chemistry of BD's proprietary Strand Displacement Amplification (SDA) that has been embraced by leading laboratories worldwide. The isothermal, real-time amplification and detection offered by SDA has greatly simplified complex molecular testing and made this technology more accessible to clinical laboratories.

Early and accurate diagnosis of chlamydia and gonorrhea leads to more timely and effective treatment, reduces the potential for the further spread of infection and helps ensure better patient outcomes. Left undetected and untreated in women, chlamydia can lead to infertility, tubal pregnancy and debilitating pelvic pain.

About BD

BD, a leading global medical technology company that makes and sells medical devices, instrumented systems and reagents, is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug therapy, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases, and advancing research and discovery of new drugs and vaccines. The Company's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs more than 25,000 people in approximately 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. For more information, please visit http://www.bd.com/.

* SCARA = Selective Compliance Assembly Robotic Arm

First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact: eileen_finn@bd.com

BD Diagnostics

CONTACT: Barbara Kalavik of BD Public Relations, +1-201-847-4209,Barbara_Kalavik@bd.com

Web site: http://www.bd.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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