On Oct. 7, 2021, BD (Becton, Dickinson) announced it has strengthened the U.S. government’s access to safety injection devices through increased manufacturing capacity and domestic supply. The new syringe and needle manufacturing lines, which were completed on an accelerated timeline, represent the public-private partnership between BD and Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

In July 2020, ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) invested approximately $42 million into a $70 million capital project to further expand BD’s operations and manufacturing lines in Holdrege, Neb. The expansion builds on the company’s deep commitment and legacy in supporting U.S. vaccination efforts through the domestic manufacturing of needles and syringes.

The new lines increase capacity of BD’s existing needle and syringe supply capabilities domestically. To date, the company has provided several hundred million injection devices to the federal campaign. This marks a timely manufacturing milestone as the United States heads into flu vaccination season and the critical need for these essential devices continues.

Increasing supply capacity from the company’s Holdrege facility builds on a 70-year manufacturing legacy in the state. BD operates three other world-class manufacturing facilities in Nebraska: Broken Bow and two facilities in Columbus. The company first established its manufacturing presence in Nebraska following World War II to support the U.S. government’s call for the geographic diversification of manufacturing operations away from the East Coast. Since then, BD’s 3,500 Nebraska-based employees have been motivated by the promise and power of ensuring providers on the front lines of health care have access to needed injection devices. That motivation inspired the development of these new manufacturing lines, as demonstrated in this brief video.  

In addition to ramping up the manufacturing of needles and syringes domestically to meet U.S. needs for the COVID-19 pandemic, BD is working to help ensure the global community is prepared for future pandemic vaccination. BD previously announced plans to invest $1.2 billion over four years to enhance its manufacturing capacity and technology for pre-fillable syringes and advanced drug delivery systems – allowing for continued growth of new injectable drugs and vaccines.