Franklin Lakes-based BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.)  announced Oct. 7 it successfully strengthened the U.S. government’s access to safety injection devices through increased manufacturing capacity and domestic supply at its Holdrege, Neb. facility.

The new syringe and needle manufacturing lines, which were completed on an accelerated timeline, represent a public-private partnership between BD and the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).  To date, the company has provided several hundred million injection devices to the federal campaign.

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 Nebraska.

“As the fight against COVID-19 continues, we are steadfast in our commitment to securing the nation’s supply continuity of these critical injection devices,” said Rick Byrd, president of medication delivery solutions for BD. “Our teams are working tirelessly – as they have been since the beginning of the pandemic – to ensure that all of our customers, including the U.S. government, have the supplies they need to vaccinate against this virus while simultaneously managing routine, preventative health care needs, such as the seasonal flu.”

Increasing supply capacity from the company’s Holdrege facility builds on a 70-year manufacturing legacy in the state. BD operates three other manufacturing facilities in Nebraska: Broken Bow and two facilities in Columbus.

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.

BD is the largest manufacturer of injection devices in the world, producing multiple billions of syringes and needles annually through its global manufacturing network.