BDX, §1A diff (2024 → 2025)
Added paragraphs (9541 words)
General global economic downturns and macroeconomic trends, including heightened inflation, capital market volatility (including volatility resulting from the imposition of (and changing policies around) tariffs and related countermeasures), import or export licensing requirements, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, economic slowdown or recession, have contributed to conditions that have impacted, and may continue to impact, demand for our products and services, or the prices we can charge for our products, disrupt aspects of our supply chain, impair our ability to produce our products, increase borrowing costs and exacerbate other risks that affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, general economic conditions have adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact, the healthcare industry, including reductions in capital spending and U.S. federal funding and changes in the delivery of healthcare services, which have affected, and could in the future affect, demand for our products. Both domestic and international markets experienced inflationary pressures in fiscal year 2025 and we expect inflation to persist in the future. In addition, currency exchange rates have been especially volatile in the recent past, and these currency fluctuations have affected, and may continue to affect, the reported value of our assets and liabilities, as well as our cash flows.
We have also experienced, and may continue to experience, challenges in our global supply chain, including shortages in supply, or disruptions in production and shipments, of certain materials or components used in our products and related price increases. While to date, we have been able to manage the challenges associated with these delays and shortages without significant disruption to our business, no assurance can be given that these efforts will continue to be successful.
A substantial amount of our sales come from our operations outside the U.S., and we intend to continue to pursue growth opportunities in new and existing foreign markets. Our foreign operations subject us to certain commercial, political and financial risks. In addition to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange (discussed above), our business in these foreign markets is subject to changing political, social, and geopolitical conditions, such as the continuation and/or escalation of the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East and Asia. These conditions include instability resulting from war, terrorism, insurrections and civil unrest, political conflict and changing economic conditions, such as inflation, deflation, interest rate volatility and credit availability.
Specifically, recently enacted or any future tariffs imposed by the U.S. government (and countermeasures by non-U.S. governments) may result in adverse impacts to the global economic environment and the stability of global financial markets, which could alter global trade. The tariffs, sanctions or other trade barriers imposed by the U.S. (and countermeasures by non-U.S. governments) could adversely impact our supply chain costs or availability of certain components, demand for our products and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Unpredictability of trade policy compounds this risk. Based upon the latest published tariffs that are currently in effect, we expect tariffs to adversely impact our operating expense for fiscal year 2026 and potentially beyond, primarily relating to any products (or components) imported from countries across our global supply chain, for which there are limited mitigation opportunities.
Further, the U.S. Department of Commerce recently initiated an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, into (among other things) imports of personal protective equipment, medical consumables and medical equipment (including devices), to determine whether they threaten U.S. national security, which further creates policy uncertainty in terms of tariffs. The ultimate impact of any existing or new tariffs or other changes in international trade policies on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows is subject to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the duration of such tariffs, changes in tariff rates, the amount, scope and nature of the tariffs, any countermeasures that target countries may take or any mitigating actions that may become available. While sourcing optimization and tariff exemptions for qualifying products are key aspects of our mitigation strategy, the timing of such or the ultimate results we will realize from these efforts are uncertain. In addition, our tariff mitigation strategies may be challenged, rejected or eliminated through legislation or other challenges, or may otherwise not be effective.
Additionally, a number of factors, including U.S. relations with or among the governments of the foreign countries in which we operate, changes to international trade agreements and treaties, changes in tax laws and regulations, economic sanctions, export controls, restrictions on the ability to transfer capital across borders and other increases in trade protectionism and barriers to market participation, or the weakening or loss of certain intellectual property rights in some countries, may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Foreign regulatory requirements, including those related to the testing authorization, and labeling of products and import or export licensing requirements, could affect the availability of our products in these markets. In addition to these broader market conditions, our operations may also be impacted by a variety of local factors, such as competition from local companies, local product preferences and requirements, changes in local healthcare payment systems and healthcare delivery systems, changes resulting from new political administrations and labor force instability.
The success of our operations outside the U.S. also depends, in part, on our ability to make necessary infrastructure enhancements to, among other things, our production facilities and sales and distribution networks, and our strategic staffing plans required to support our international operations. These and other factors may adversely impact our ability to pursue our growth strategy in these markets.
In addition, our international operations increase our compliance risk. For example, such international operations are governed by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar foreign anti-corruption laws. Global enforcement of anti-corruption and bribery laws has increased substantially in recent years, with more enforcement proceedings by foreign governmental agencies and the imposition of significant fines and penalties. While we have implemented policies, procedures and training related to compliance with these laws, our international operations, which often involve customer relationships with foreign governments, create the risk that there may be unauthorized payments or offers of payments made by employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors. We are also subject to certain U.S. and foreign laws and regulations that restrict us from transacting business with, or making investments in, certain countries, governments, entities and individuals subject to U.S. or foreign economic sanctions or export restrictions. Any alleged or actual violations of these laws may subject us to government investigations and significant criminal or civil sanctions and other liabilities, and negatively affect our reputation which could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We are a global company that faces significant competition from a wide range of existing competitors and new market entrants. These include large medical device companies with multiple product lines, some of which may have greater financial and other resources than we do, as well as firms which are more specialized than we are with respect to particular markets or product lines. Nontraditional entrants, such as technology companies, are also entering into the healthcare industry and some may have greater financial and other resources than we do. We face competition across all our product lines and in each market in which our products are sold on the basis of product features, clinical or economic outcomes, product quality, availability, price, services and other factors.
Our ability to compete is also impacted by changing customer and patient preferences and requirements, including changes in demand as a result of changes to U.S. federal and state policies (affecting products such as pharmaceuticals and vaccines), increased focus on products using materials of concern and demand for more sustainable products, and for products utilizing emerging technologies (such as AI), as well as changes in the ways healthcare services are delivered, such as the transition of more care from acute to non-acute settings and increased focus on chronic disease management. In particular, the shift of care from acute to non-acute settings may also place financial pressure on hospitals and broader healthcare systems that could result in less demand for our products. Tariffs and other cost containment efforts by governments and the private sector have led to increased competitiveness in terms of product pricing and have resulted and may continue to result in increased emphasis on products that reduce costs, improve clinical results and expand patient access. In addition, changes in regulatory or market standards, including, without limitation, data protection and cybersecurity requirements, often require significant investment for compliance. Our ability to remain competitive will depend on how well we meet these changing market and regulatory demands in terms of our product offerings and go-to-market approaches.
The medical technology industry is also subject to rapid technological change, discovery and frequent product introductions. The development of new or improved products, processes or technologies by other companies that provide better features, pricing, clinical outcomes or economic value may render our current products or subsequently developed products obsolete or less competitive. In some instances, competitors, including pharmaceutical companies, also offer (or are attempting to develop) alternative therapies for disease states that may be delivered without a medical device, such as oral GLP-1 medications.
Market dynamics, changes in reimbursement practices and coverage policies, third-party payer cost containment measures and health insurance coverage levels could affect demand for our products and the prices at which they are sold.
The sale of our products and services, as well as access to them, depends, in part, on the healthcare funding landscape, how healthcare providers and facilities are reimbursed by public and private payers and health insurance coverage levels and costs. Coverage policies and reimbursement levels can vary across the payer community globally, regionally and locally, and may affect which products customers purchase, the market acceptance rate for new technologies and the prices customers are willing to pay for those products in a particular jurisdiction. In addition, third-party payers are increasingly challenging the reimbursement models and prices charged for medical products and services. Any changes to the reimbursement landscape, or adverse decisions relating to our products by administrators of these systems could significantly reduce reimbursement for procedures using our products or result in denial of reimbursement for those products, which could adversely affect customer demand, or the price customers are willing to pay for such products. See “Third-Party Reimbursement” under “Item 1. Business.”
A global trend towards limiting growth of healthcare costs may also put industry-wide pressure on medical device or clinical diagnostic pricing. In the U.S., the Center for Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has proposed the expansion of its Competitive Bidding Program (“CBP”). This proposed expansion would introduce a pricing model that could significantly influence the cost structure of some medical devices in the U.S. healthcare system; specifically, those reimbursed under CMS’ Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic, Orthotic and Supplies payment system. By leveraging supplier competition to establish payment rates, the CBP mirrors purchasing initiatives seen in international markets, where procurement strategies attempt to prioritize
cost-efficiency, which could lead to uncertainty with respect to innovation, quality and patient access challenges or supplier attrition, as seen in prior bidding cycles. In addition, we expect recently enacted and proposed changes under legislative debate to Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to impact healthcare coverage, all of which if implemented could adversely affect both the demand and prices customers are willing to pay for our products. Globally, governments in China and other countries continue to use various mechanisms to control healthcare expenditures, including increased use of competitive bidding and tenders, price regulation (such as volume-based procurement programs (“VoBP”)), government imposed payback provisions, and changes in reimbursement practices and policies on average selling prices for our products, which have unfavorably impacted our revenues and may continue to impact our results of operations in certain countries.
We sell products to researchers at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, government laboratories and private foundations. Research and development spending of our customers can fluctuate based on spending priorities and general economic conditions and customers could reduce research and development spending and/or delay or avoid purchases of our products in response to economic factors. A number of these customers are also dependent for their funding upon grants from U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health and similar agencies in other countries. The level of government funding of research and development is unpredictable and we have seen a reduction in government funding in fiscal year 2025. The availability of governmental research funding has been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by policy changes, economic conditions and governmental spending reductions, including the downsizing or reduced funding of certain government agencies. Further, an extended federal government shutdown resulting from a failure to pass budget appropriations, adopt continuing funding resolutions or raise the debt ceiling, together with any other budgetary decisions limiting or delaying government spending, could negatively impact U.S. or global economic conditions.
A significant element of our strategy is to increase revenue growth by continuing to focus on innovation and new product development. New product development requires significant investment in R&D, clinical trials and regulatory approvals. The results of our product development efforts may be affected by a number of factors, including our ability to anticipate customer needs, innovate and develop new products and technologies, successfully complete clinical trials, obtain regulatory approvals and reimbursement in the U.S. and abroad, manufacture products in a cost-effective manner, obtain appropriate intellectual property rights and gain and maintain market acceptance of our products. In addition, patents attained by others can preclude or delay our commercialization of a product. There can be no assurance that any products now in development, or that we may seek to develop in the future, will achieve technological feasibility, obtain regulatory approval or gain market acceptance. If we are unable to develop and launch new products, our ability to maintain or expand our market position in the markets in which we participate may be negatively impacted. Even if we successfully develop new products or enhancements or new generations of existing products, they may be quickly rendered obsolete by changing customer preferences, changing industry or regulatory standards, or competitors’ innovations.
A substantial amount of our revenue is derived from international operations, and we anticipate that a significant portion of our future sales will continue to come from outside the U.S. The revenue we report with respect to our international operations has been, and may continue to be, affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, which are caused by a number of factors, including changes in a country's political and economic policies, such as tariffs, and inflationary conditions. Furthermore, currency exchange rates have been volatile in the recent past, and these currency fluctuations have affected, and may continue to affect, the reported value of our assets and liabilities, as well as our cash flows. A discussion of the financial impact of exchange rate fluctuations and the ways and extent to which we may attempt to address any impact is contained
in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Any foreign currency exchange rate hedging activities we engage in may only offset a portion of the financial impact resulting from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We cannot predict with any certainty changes in foreign currency exchange rates or the degree to which we can effectively manage these fluctuations.
Our ability to compete effectively depends upon our ability to attract and retain executives, key employees and other associates. Competition for experienced employees, particularly for persons with certain technical competencies in some geographies, can be a challenge. Additionally, we need qualified managers and skilled employees with technical, manufacturing and distribution experience to operate our business successfully. Our ability to recruit and retain such talent will depend on a number of factors, including how BD’s compensation, benefits, work location, corporate culture and work environment compares with those offered by our competitors and other local employers. While there has been an improvement in what had been an intensely competitive labor market, there continues to be pressure on skilled labor in certain markets. A sustained labor shortage or increased turnover rates within our employee base has led to, and may continue to lead to, increased costs, such as an increase in overtime necessary to meet demand and increased wages and benefit costs to attract and retain skilled employees, and could negatively affect our ability to efficiently operate our manufacturing and distribution facilities and overall business. If we cannot effectively recruit and retain qualified executives and skilled employees, we could encounter operational disruptions or other negative consequences to our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We rely on a large number of information and technology (“IT”) systems and related infrastructure, including services provided to us by third-party vendors to operate our business. We collect, use, store, transfer and otherwise process electronic information in our day-to-day operations, including personal, confidential, or proprietary information of BD and its customers, vendors and other business partners and patients. Additionally, some of our products and systems collect personal, confidential or proprietary information regarding patients and patient therapy on behalf of our customers and some of our products are internet enabled or connect to our IT systems for maintenance and other purposes. We also have products and systems that connect to the internet, hospital networks, electronic medical record systems or electronic health record systems. In addition, we rely on networks and services, including internet sites, cloud and software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) solutions, platform-as-a-service (“PaaS”) solutions, data hosting and processing facilities, AI, tools and other hardware, software (including open-source software) and technical applications and platforms, including some that are managed, hosted, provided and/or used by third-party vendors, to operate our business. Further, we expect that the breadth and complexity of our IT systems and infrastructure will increase as we expand our product offerings to utilize cloud technologies and AI, which present inherent enterprise technology risks, including those related to privacy, data protection and cybersecurity, that need to be managed. The foregoing could expose us to further risk of potential breaches, failures, interruptions and disruptions, which could result in adverse consequences, including regulatory inquiries or litigation, increased costs and expenses, reputational damage, lost revenue, and fines or penalties. In particular, risks associated with the deployment and use of AI into our operations generally could introduce new risks related to the management of our information and technology systems and related infrastructure and our overall cybersecurity threat landscape.
While we are continuing to modernize our IT systems and infrastructure (such as hardware, software and operating systems), there are still legacy technologies in operation that are more vulnerable to risk of failures, interruptions and disruptions. In addition, while we continue to enhance business continuity and disaster recovery plans and strategies, there is no guarantee that such plans and strategies will be effective or account for all eventualities. We have experienced, and could in the future experience, the failure, interruption or disruption of the functionality of our IT systems and infrastructure (or those of third-party vendors upon which we rely), which could impair our ability or that of our customers, suppliers and other business partners to
conduct business. Such a disruption could also result in the loss of our trade secrets or otherwise compromise personal, confidential or proprietary information of ours or our customers, suppliers and other business partners, or of patients. Additionally, depending on the nature of such a disruption, it could result in efficacy or safety concerns for certain of our products, result in reputational harm to our business and result in actions by regulatory bodies or civil litigation.
Cyberattacks continue to increase in frequency, sophistication and intensity, and are increasingly difficult to detect in real-time and may go undetected for long periods of time, especially as they relate to attacks on third-party vendors and those utilizing emerging technologies (such as AI). Such attacks are often carried out by motivated and highly skilled actors, who are increasingly well-resourced. Our IT systems and infrastructure, as well as those of various third parties on which we rely, have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, a variety of cyberattacks, including, but not limited to, unauthorized access, malicious code execution and/or phishing attacks, which could be further exacerbated by rapid technology evolution, including increased adoption of AI and geopolitical events. For example, AI is increasingly being used by malicious actors to create more targeted cyberattacks and spread misinformation. These cyberattacks have resulted, and could in the future result, in our and our customers’ personal, confidential or proprietary information being accessed, destroyed, lost, stolen or otherwise compromised and could lead to increased costs for cybersecurity measures, insurance or remediation and adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, results of operations or competitive position in the market and result in other significant negative consequences, including lost revenue, damages or fines, manufacturing challenges or disruption, diversion of management attention, litigation, regulatory action and damage to our relationships with vendors, business partners and customers.
Unauthorized tampering, adulteration or interference with our products, including through cyberattacks, may also create issues with product functionality that could result in a loss or alteration of data, risk to patient safety and product recalls or field actions, as well as impact our compliance with privacy, data protection and other laws and regulations and could result in reputational damage and actions by regulatory bodies or civil litigation.
In addition, acquisitions and the integration of acquired companies into our existing and future IT systems and infrastructure, including with third-party vendors and processes, inherently present cybersecurity risks, such as exposing us to vulnerabilities and threats that were previously unknown or unmanaged. While we attempt to mitigate these risks through due diligence, risk assessments and the implementation of cybersecurity controls and protocols during and after the acquisition process, there can be no assurance that such measures will be sufficient to prevent, mitigate or remediate cybersecurity incidents or breaches, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
While we have made, and expect to continue making, significant investments intended to strengthen our cybersecurity posture—including measures designed to protect our products, systems, and data—we cannot guarantee that these efforts will fully prevent, mitigate or remediate cybersecurity incidents or breaches. We maintain processes designed to monitor, detect and respond to threats and collaborate with government authorities and third-party partners in an effort to reduce risk. However, given the evolving nature, sophistication, scale and frequency of cybersecurity incidents and breaches, no system can be entirely secure. A successful cybersecurity incident or breach could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
The development, deployment and use of AI in our products and business operations generally could result in regulatory action, legal liability, operational challenges or reputational harm and our failure to adapt to medical technology industry trends and developments related to AI in a timely manner (or at all) could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We have integrated (and expect to continue to integrate) AI into our products and business operations generally. We also expect to continue to develop future uses of AI and expand our existing AI capabilities to include agentic solutions, as well as pursue new AI technology partnerships with third parties. The development, deployment and use of AI (particularly generative AI) is in the early stages and presents various
risks, including from confidentiality, privacy, data protection, cybersecurity and compliance perspectives, and raises intellectual property issues and legal, regulatory, reputational ethical, operational, technological and other concerns (see, “Our operations are dependent in part on patents and other intellectual property assets” and “Cybersecurity incidents and breaches or breakdowns of our information and technology systems or infrastructure could have a material adverse effect on our operations” elsewhere in this Item 1A, Risk Factors). Additionally, if we do not effectively adopt and integrate AI into innovative, market-differentiated products in a timely manner, our competitive position could be adversely affected.
We purchase many different types of raw materials and components used in our products, some of which are not available from multiple sources. In addition, for quality assurance, cost-effectiveness and other reasons, certain raw materials and components are purchased from sole suppliers. Our reliance on sole suppliers can create greater exposure to shortages, magnify price swings and increase the difficulty of negotiating favorable terms. The price and supply of these materials and components has been, and may in the future be, impacted or disrupted for reasons beyond our control, including supplier shutdowns, supplier capacity constraints, supplier insolvencies, labor disruptions or shortages, transportation delays, inflationary pricing pressures, work stoppages, extreme weather events, tariffs and other geopolitical developments, global economic uncertainty or downturns, sanctions and trade restrictions and other governmental regulatory actions or inactions (such as in the area of materials of concern), including those taken as a result of a prolonged U.S. government shutdown, and any such changes or disruptions could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, significant challenges to our global transportation channels and other aspects of our global supply chain network, including to the cost and availability of energy, raw materials and components due to shortages, labor strikes and cost inflation. We continuously explore alternative routes, transportation modes and replenishment timings to preempt and mitigate associated risks, but no assurance can be given that these efforts will adequately address these challenges and disruptions.
At a broader level, there is continued focus on the use and emission of ethylene oxide by the EPA and state environmental regulatory agencies. Additional regulatory requirements associated with the use and emission of ethylene oxide for sterilization may be imposed in the future, both domestically and outside the U.S. On April 5, 2024, the final National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (“NESHAP”): Ethylene Oxide Emissions Standards for Sterilization Facilities regulation issued by the EPA became effective. While companies were initially given two years from the effective date to comply with the new requirements of the NESHAP generally, in July 2025, the current U.S. administration issued an executive order exempting medical device sterilization facilities (including certain of our facilities) from compliance with such requirements for two years beyond the initial April 2026 compliance deadline. We implemented certain changes to our facilities in accordance with NESHAP’s requirements in 2024 and 2025 and are in the process of implementing certain additional changes to our facilities to achieve compliance with such requirements by April 2028.
In addition, on April 13, 2023, the EPA published a Pesticide Registration Review: Proposed Interim Decision and Draft Risk Assessment Addendum for Ethylene Oxide. On January 14, 2025, the EPA published the Pesticide Registration Review; Interim Registration Review Decision for Ethylene Oxide (“ID”), which regulates the use of ethylene oxide as a sterilant and is intended to mitigate any human health and environmental risks associated with its use. Among other things, the ID requires medical device sterilization facilities to comply with a new and stricter occupational ethylene oxide exposure limit, establish engineering controls for worker protection, provide workers with personal protective equipment, conduct continuous stationary indoor monitoring and comply with a maximum concentration limit for ethylene oxide (with higher levels permitted if required and approved by the FDA). Compliance deadlines for the various mitigation measures required by the ID range from within 60 days to ten years of the effective date. We are in the process of assessing the impact of the ID requirements on our sterilization facilities, the third-party sterilization facilities that we utilize and our operations generally. We expect to implement certain changes at our facilities to comply with NESHAP and ID requirements, which will require us to incur additional implementation and ongoing operating costs.
This increased regulation could require us or our third-party sterilization service providers to temporarily suspend operations to install additional emissions control technology, limit the use of ethylene oxide or take other actions, which would impact our operations and further reduce the available capacity to sterilize medical devices and healthcare products, and could also result in additional costs. If any existing regulatory requirements or any such regulatory actions or rulemaking result in the suspension or interruption of our sterilization operations or at third-party medical device sterilizers we use, or otherwise limit the availability of third-party sterilization capacity, which could interrupt or otherwise adversely impact production of certain of our products or lead to civil litigation or other claims against us. We have business continuity plans in place to mitigate the impact of any such disruption, although these plans may not be able to fully offset such impact, for the reasons noted above.
Our results of operations could be negatively impacted by volatility in the cost of raw materials, components, labor, duties, freight, energy and other production costs that, in turn, increases the costs of producing and distributing our products. New laws or regulations adopted in response to climate change, and our sustainability efforts more generally, could also increase energy, conversion and transportation costs, as well as the costs of certain raw materials and components. In particular, we purchase supplies of resins, which are oil-based components used to manufacture certain products, and any significant increase in resin costs, whether due to inflationary pressure, increase in oil prices, supply constraints, regulatory changes or otherwise, could adversely impact future operating results. In addition to increased resin costs, any future increases in oil prices could also increase our packaging and transportation costs. The overall costs of raw materials, transportation, construction, services and energy necessary for the production and distribution of our products continue to increase and be volatile. These prices may continue to fluctuate based on many factors beyond our control. While we have implemented cost containment measures, progressed selective price increases and taken other actions to mitigate these inflationary pressures in our supply chain, we may not be able to completely offset all the increases in our operational costs.
Climate change and related sustainability efforts, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address these efforts, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Climate change resulting from increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (“GHG”) in the atmosphere may present risks to our business and operations. Extreme weather or other conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, wildfires or flooding, which may result from climate change could adversely impact our operations and supply chain, including the availability and cost of raw materials and components required for the operation of our business, as well as result in human capital issues for us and companies within our supply chain. In addition, access to (and pricing of) certain natural resources, such as water, could impact our manufacturing operations. Such conditions could also result in physical damage to our products, plants and distribution centers, as well as the infrastructure and facilities of our suppliers and of hospitals, medical care facilities and other customers.
There has also been shifting focus by federal, international, state and local regulatory and legislative bodies on combating and limiting climate change and to promote sustainability and related efforts through measures such as requiring disclosure of climate-related risks and metrics, including GHG emissions, conducting risk assessments on sustainability practices, adopting policies mandating or promoting the use of renewable or zero-carbon energy, implementing sustainability initiatives and imposing additional taxes on fuel and energy. Additional legislation or regulations in the United States and in other jurisdictions in which we and our suppliers operate may impose more stringent restrictions, and disclosure obligations. We and companies in our supply chain have experienced, and may continue to experience, increased compliance burdens and costs to meet these obligations. If we or our suppliers are unable or unwilling to comply with these obligations, it could be more difficult and/or costly to manufacture and sell certain of our products and we could experience supply chain interruptions, including impacts to sourcing and distribution. In addition, we could be subject to litigation, substantial fines and other damages if we fail to comply with these obligations, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Climate change and related regulations and sustainability efforts may also influence customer, shareholder and other stakeholder preferences and requirements, including in diverging directions. This includes increased or shifting demand for more sustainable products and for progress toward sustainability goals and GHG reduction targets, including product-level GHG emissions data. Failure to meet customer, shareholder and other stakeholder expectations or our own commitments relating to sustainability or emissions reductions could potentially result in loss of market share, reputational impacts, or challenges in attracting and retaining customers.
We are or have been a defendant in a number of lawsuits, including, among others, purported class action lawsuits for alleged antitrust violations and violations of federal securities laws, environmental and product liability claims (including pending claims relating to ethylene oxide, our hernia repair implant products, surgical continence and pelvic organ prolapse products for women, vena cava filter products and implantable ports, which involve, or could in the future involve, lawsuits seeking class action status or seeking to establish multi-district litigation or other consolidated proceedings) and suits alleging patent infringement. We also are or have been subject to government investigations and civil investigative demands seeking information with respect to alleged violations of law, including in connection with federal and/or state healthcare programs (such as Medicare or Medicaid), the federal securities laws, federal contracting requirements and/or sales and marketing practices, among other things. A more detailed description of certain litigation to which we are a party is contained in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” We could be subject to additional lawsuits, governmental investigations, subpoenas and civil investigative demands in the future. Any such lawsuits, governmental investigations, subpoenas and civil investigative demands could ultimately have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and could distract management from the operations of the business.
Accruals are established for legal proceedings to the extent losses for individual matters are probable and reasonably estimable based upon our assessment of the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes relative to these matters, as well as the potential ranges of probable losses. Given the uncertain nature of litigation generally, we are not able in all cases to reasonably estimate the amount or range of loss that could result from an unfavorable outcome of litigation in which we are a party. Also, accruals relating to legal proceedings may change in the future as new information for an individual matter becomes available or due to changes in our litigation strategy. Given the uncertain nature of litigation, we could incur charges in excess of any currently established accruals and, to the extent available, liability insurance and any such future charges, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition and/or consolidated cash flows. In addition, even if we believe we have meritorious defenses, from time to time we engage in settlement discussions and mediation and consider settlements taking into account various factors including, among other things, developments in such legal proceedings and the resulting risks and uncertainties. These activities have resulted in settlements for certain matters and going forward could result in further settlements, any of which may be confidential and could be significant and result in charges in excess of accruals. Any such future charges, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and/or liquidity.
Our operations are global and are affected by complex state, federal and international laws relating to healthcare, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, antitrust, anti-corruption, marketing, fraud and abuse (including anti-kickback and false claims laws), export control, product safety and efficacy, employment, labor, privacy and data protection, taxation, the development, deployment and use of emerging technologies (such as AI) and other areas. Violations of these laws can result in criminal or civil sanctions, including substantial fines and, in some cases, exclusion from participation in healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Environmental laws, particularly with respect to climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases, are also generally becoming more stringent throughout the world, which may increase our costs of operations or necessitate closures of, or changes to, our manufacturing plants or processes or those of our suppliers, or result in liability to BD. The enactment of additional laws and reporting requirements in the future or changes in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations, may increase our compliance costs or otherwise adversely impact our operations and financial performance.
We are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, by comparable agencies in foreign countries, and by other regulatory agencies and governing bodies. Most of our products must receive authorization from the FDA or counterpart regulatory agencies in other countries before they can be marketed or sold. This process may require us to incur significant costs in terms of time and resources, and these costs have been increasing due to increased requirements from the FDA and comparable governing bodies for supporting data for submissions. The regulatory process may also require changes to our products or result in limitations on the indicated uses of our products. Governmental agencies may also impose new requirements regarding registration, including, but not limited to, labeling updates or changes to prohibited materials that require us to modify or re-register products already on the market or otherwise impact our ability to market our products in those countries. In addition, government shutdowns, recent reductions in U.S. government agency staffing and government spending more generally could impact ordinary course operations of agencies with which we interact routinely, such as the FDA. Following these reductions, the agencies may
lack adequate staff and resources to meet current review, approval and inspection schedules, which could delay the receipt of or otherwise adversely affect the outcomes of product authorizations we seek.
Further, changes we have made, or may make in the future, to our products have been, or may in the future be, subject to U.S. or foreign regulatory review, including additional 510(k) clearance, PMA approval, CE Mark and other marketing authorizations (such as, but not limited to, with respect to BD AlarisTM System and infusion sets and BD VacutainerTM). We have made modifications to certain of our products in the past and have determined based on our review of our internal documentation and data and the applicable FDA or foreign regulations and guidance that in certain instances new 510(k) clearances or other premarket submissions were not required. We may make similar modifications or add additional features in the future that we believe do not require a new marketing authorization. If the FDA or a foreign regulator disagrees with our determinations, we may be required to cease marketing and/or to recall the modified product until we obtain a new marketing authorization, which could result in lost revenue, additional costs and damage to our reputation. Such non-compliance may also subject us to civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties, or other actions being taken with respect to products in the field. Marketing authorization and the time needed to secure such authorization is uncertain and we may not be able to obtain such authorization on the timeline or conditions we expect or at all. Our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory clearances or approvals from the FDA or foreign regulators may be difficult and could increase the cost of compliance and impact our ability to market our products.
Following the introduction of a product, these agencies also periodically review our manufacturing processes and product performance. Our failure to comply with the applicable good manufacturing practices, adverse event reporting and other post market requirements of these agencies could delay or prevent the production, marketing or sale of our products and result in delays or suspensions of regulatory clearances, warning letters or consent decrees, closure of manufacturing sites, import bans, seizures or recalls of products, civil or criminal sanctions and damage to our reputation. More stringent oversight by the FDA and other agencies can result in increased enforcement activity, which could increase our compliance risk.
Our CareFusion 303, Inc. subsidiary is operating under an amended Consent Decree that affects our BD Alaris™ infusion pump business in the United States. We are also currently operating under two warning letters issued by the FDA for our Dispensing and Specimen Management businesses. For more information regarding the consent decree and warning letters, see “Regulation” under Item 1. Business.
As previously disclosed, on July 21, 2023, BD received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its updated BD Alaris™ Infusion System, which enabled both remediation and a return to market for the BD Alaris™ Infusion System. To address open recalls and ensure devices at customer sites are running a recent, cleared version of the BD Alaris™ Infusion System Software, BD Alaris™ Infusion System devices in the U.S. market are being remediated or replaced with the updated 510(k) cleared version, which we expect to be substantially complete over the next calendar year. The overall timing and cost of replacement or remediation of the BD Alaris™ Infusion Systems and return to market in the U.S. may be impacted by, among other things, customer readiness, supply continuity, and our continued engagement with the FDA.
In addition, the European Union (“EU”) has adopted the EU Medical Device Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/745, the “EU MDR”) and the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/746, the “EU IVDR”), each of which impose stricter requirements for the marketing and sale of medical devices, including in the area of clinical evidence, quality management systems and post-market surveillance. Although the EU MDR has been fully applicable for previously approved self-certified medical devices since May 2021, the application of the EU MDR has been extended until 2027 for certain devices considered higher-risk and to 2028 for other devices. This longer transition timeline applies only to devices that are transitioning to MDR and meet other specific conditions. The EU IVDR has been applicable since May 2022, but transition periods apply for certain in vitro diagnostic medical devices. Complying with and maintaining devices under these regulations requires us to incur significant expenditures. Additionally, the availability of EU-notified body services certified under the new requirements is limited, which may delay the marketing approval for some of our products under these regulations. Any such delays, or any failure to meet these requirements could adversely impact our business in the EU and other regions that tie their product registrations to EU conformity requirements.
We are also subject to complex and rapidly evolving privacy and data protection laws, regulations and standards which govern the collection, use, storage, transfer, sharing and processing of personal data (particularly sensitive health information) across the U.S. and a significant number of other countries where we operate. The nature of our technologies and data-driven solutions amplifies privacy and data protection risks, especially as we employ could-based infrastructures, AI and other emerging digital capabilities. These innovations can introduce new vectors for data exposure, algorithmic bias, and regulatory scrutiny. These laws, rules and regulations require, among other things, proactive implementation of comprehensive compliance programs, continuous enhancement of internal policies, business practices, processes, and integration of technical and organizational safeguards across all assets and activities that process personal data. These requirements often entail operational constraints and higher compliance costs and may require us to modify existing or future products, potentially impacting innovation timelines and financial performance.
Furthermore, privacy and data protection risks extend beyond our direct operations. Non-compliance by third-party vendors, manufacturers, or service providers (especially those involved in data processing) can expose us to liability indirectly. Cybersecurity incidents, system failures, or breaches involving our own infrastructure or that of our partners may trigger regulatory scrutiny, financial penalties, business interruption, reputational harm, loss of competitive advantage and customer trust, as well as privacy litigation and civil lawsuits with damages.
Finally, changes in the tax laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate could increase our tax expense and/or tax payments, increase tax uncertainty and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development published Pillar Two Model Rules, which impose a 15% global minimum tax, that became effective in some of the jurisdictions in which we operate in fiscal year 2025, and we continue to assess their impact. Future changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws, including under Pillar Two, whether prospective or retroactive, could materially impact our effective tax rate, business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Defects or quality issues associated with our products and related regulatory actions could adversely affect our results of operations and financial statements.
The design, manufacture and marketing of medical devices involve certain inherent risks. Manufacturing or design defects, component failures, unapproved or improper use of our products, or inadequate disclosure of risks or other information relating to the use of our products can lead to injury or other serious adverse events. The acquisition and integration of acquired companies increases our exposure to this risk. Such events have in the past and could in the future lead to recalls or safety alerts relating to our products (either voluntary or as required by the FDA or similar governmental authorities in other countries), and could result, in certain cases, in the removal of a product from the market. In addition, any recall could result in the establishment or increase in financial reserves, which in turn would increase financial reporting and other disclosure obligations, the loss of sales and customers, enforcement actions and/or investigations by state and federal governments or other enforcement bodies and related fines and penalties, as well as negative publicity and damage to our reputation that could reduce future demand for our products. Personal injuries relating to the use of our products can also result in significant product liability claims being brought against us. In some circumstances, such adverse events could also cause delays in regulatory approval of new products or the imposition of post-market approval requirements.
Many of our businesses rely on patent, trademark and other intellectual property assets. These intellectual property assets, in the aggregate, are of material importance to our business. We can lose the protection afforded by these intellectual property assets through patent expirations, legal challenges or governmental action. Any patent applications we own or license may not result in patents being issued and any issued patents we obtain may not provide us with any competitive advantage. Furthermore, we may fail to accurately predict all of the countries where patent protection will ultimately be desirable, and if we fail to timely file a patent application in any such country, we may be precluded from doing so at a later date. Patents attained by competitors, particularly as patents on our products expire, may also adversely affect our competitive position. Competitors may design around our intellectual property to develop competing
technologies and products without infringing our intellectual property rights. In addition, competitors may seek to invalidate patents on our products or claim that our products infringe upon, misappropriate or otherwise violate their intellectual property, which could result in a loss of competitive advantage or the payment of significant legal fees, damages and past or future royalties, as well as injunctions against future sales of our products. We also operate in countries that do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as in the U.S., which could make it easier for competitors to compete with us in those countries. Further, governmental regulation and laws related to AI and other emerging technologies may increase the burden and cost of research and development or require increased transparency that makes it more difficult to protect our intellectual property.
We depend on cash on hand and cash flows from operations to make scheduled debt payments. However, our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from our operations and to utilize other methods to make scheduled payments will depend on a range of economic, competitive and business factors, many of which are outside of our control. There can be no assurance that these sources will be adequate. Further, our ability to refinance our indebtedness could be adversely impacted by the loss of our “well-known seasoned issuer” status upon the filing of this annual report due to our entry into a December 2024 SEC Order. If we are unable to service our indebtedness and fund our operations, through the raising of additional capital or otherwise, we will be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, seek additional capital, sell assets or refinance our indebtedness. Any such action may not be successful and we may be unable to service our indebtedness and fund our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, we may not be able to refinance existing debt on favorable or comparable terms.
The agreements that govern our indebtedness contain various affirmative and negative covenants that may, subject to certain significant exceptions, restrict the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to incur debt and the ability of us and certain of our subsidiaries to, among other things, have liens on our property, merge or consolidate with any other person or sell or convey certain of our assets to any one person. In addition, the agreements also require us to comply with certain financial covenants, including financial ratios. Our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to comply with these provisions may be affected by events beyond our control. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, could accelerate our repayment obligations and could result in a default and acceleration under other agreements containing cross-default provisions. Under these circumstances, we might not have sufficient funds or other resources to satisfy all of our obligations.
Risks Relating to the Proposed Combination of Our Biosciences and Diagnostics Solutions Business with Waters
The proposed combination of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters may not be completed, on the currently contemplated timeline or at all.
On July 13, 2025, we entered into a definitive agreement with Waters to combine our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters. The transaction, if consummated, would result in our shareholders owning approximately 39.2% of the combined company and existing Waters shareholders owning approximately 60.8% of the combined company. The transaction is expected to close around the end of the first quarter of calendar year 2026, subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals, Waters stockholder approval, compliance with applicable SEC requirements, the receipt of a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service regarding certain matters germane to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the transactions and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. No assurances can be provided that such closing conditions will be satisfied or waived or that the transaction will be consummated, on the currently contemplated timeline or at all. A failure to complete the transaction, or a delay in doing so, could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In the event that the transaction does not close, we will be required to bear significant non-recurring costs in connection with the transaction.
The announcement and pendency of the combination of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters could cause disruptions in our business.
The completion of the separation of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business and combination of the business with Waters will require significant amounts of time and effort, which could divert management attention, disrupt the activities of our employees and have negative implications for our relationships with our customers and other third parties. We have already incurred and expect to incur additional costs and expenses in connection with the separation and combination. Until the consummation or termination of the transaction, we are also required to operate the business in the ordinary course and we are restricted from taking certain specified actions with respect to our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business without Waters’ consent. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition, result of operations and cash flows.
We may not realize some or all of the expected benefits of the combination of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters.
If the separation of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business and combination of the business with Waters is completed, the anticipated operational, financial, strategic and other benefits of such transaction to us and our shareholders may not be achieved. In addition, we have agreed to provide certain transition services to the combined company, which may result in additional expenses and may divert our focus and resources that would otherwise be invested into maintaining or growing our businesses. An inability to realize tsome or all of the anticipated benefits of the transaction, as well as any delays encountered in the process, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, while it is expected that the transaction would be generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes to us and our shareholders, no assurances can be provided that the transaction will qualify for such treatment. If the transaction is ultimately determined to be taxable, this could result in significant U.S. federal income tax liabilities for us and our shareholders. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
On April 1, 2022, we completed the spin-off of Embecta Corp. (“Embecta”) (NASDAQ: EMBC), which holds our former Diabetes Care business. The spin-off is intended to be a tax-free transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If any facts, assumptions, representations and undertakings from BD and Embecta regarding the past and future conduct of their respective businesses and other matters are incorrect or not
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otherwise satisfied, the spin-off may not qualify for tax-free treatment, which could result in significant U.S. federal income tax liabilities for us and our shareholders.
Natural disasters, public health crises, war and other events beyond our control could disrupt our business and adversely affect our future revenues and operating income.
Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events (including those caused by climate change), war, public health crises (such as pandemics and epidemics), terrorism, social or political unrest, labor disruptions and international conflicts and other events beyond our control, and actions taken by the U.S. and other governments, private health institutions or by our customers or suppliers in response to such events, could cause significant economic disruption and political and social instability in the U.S. and areas outside of the U.S. in which we operate. Such events are inherently unpredictable, and our responses may involve the implementation of measures which may not be successful. These events could have a negative impact on the capital markets or result in decreased demand for our products, adversely affect our manufacturing and distribution capabilities or increase the costs for or cause interruptions in the supply of materials from our suppliers.
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The following is a list of the executive officers of BD as of September 30, 2025, their ages and all positions and offices held by each of them during the past five years. There is no family relationship between any executive officer or director of BD.
Thomas E. Polen52Chairman since April 2021; Chief Executive Officer since January 2020; President since April 2017; Chief Operating Officer from October 2018 to January 2020.
Richard Byrd58Executive Vice President and President, Interventional Segment since September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Medication Delivery Solutions from March 2019 to September 2022.
Christopher J. DelOrefice54Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since September 2021; Vice President, Investor Relations, Johnson & Johnson from August 2018 to September 2021.
Antoine C. Ezell56Executive Vice President, President of the Americas and Chief Marketing Officer since October 2020; Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer from January 2020 to October 2020; Vice President, Connected Care and Insulins, Eli Lilly and Company from January 2019 to January 2020.
Michael Feld45Executive Vice President and President, Life Sciences since August 2024; President of Hach (Veralto Corporation) from September 2023 to August 2024; Senior Vice President and General Manager of Danaher Corporation from June 2022 to September 2023; and President of Mammotome (Danaher Corporation) from January 2019 to September 2022.
Michael Garrison57Executive Vice President and President, Medical Segment since September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Medication Management Solutions from March 2020 to September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Surgery from December 2018 to March 2020.
Roland Goette63Executive Vice President and President, EMEA since May 2017.
Pavan Mocherla56Executive Vice President and President, Greater Asia since July 2022; Country General Manager, South Asia/Managing Director from December 2017 to June 2022.
Bilal Muhsin45Executive Vice President and President of Connected Care Segment since July 2025; Chief Operating Officer of Masimo Corporation from April 2019 to July 2025.
Shana Neal60Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer since April 2022; Chief Human Resources Officer of Owens & Minor from April 2018 to March 2022.
David Shan55Executive Vice President and Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer since January 2023; Executive Vice President and Chief Quality Officer from March 2020 to August 2023; Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain from May 2018 to August 2020.
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General global economic downturns and macroeconomic trends, including heightened inflation, capital market volatility, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, economic slowdown or recession, have contributed to conditions that have impacted, and may continue to impact, demand for our products and services, or the prices we can charge for our products, disrupt aspects of our supply chain, impair our ability to produce our products, increase borrowing costs and exacerbate other risks that affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, general economic conditions may impact the healthcare industry, including reductions in capital spending, changes in the delivery of healthcare services and increasing labor disputes or shortages, which could in turn affect demand for our products and services. Both domestic and international markets experienced inflationary pressures in fiscal year 2024 and we expect inflation to persist in the future but at lower levels than in recent years. In addition, currency exchange rates have been especially volatile in the recent past, and these currency fluctuations have affected, and may continue to affect, the reported value of our
assets and liabilities, as well as our cash flows.
We have also experienced, and may continue to experience, challenges in our global supply chain, including shortages in supply, or disruptions in production and shipments, of certain materials or components used in our products, and related price increases. While to date, we have been able to manage the challenges associated with these delays and shortages without significant disruption to our business, no assurance can be given that these efforts will continue to be successful.
A substantial amount of our sales come from our operations outside the U.S., and we intend to continue to pursue growth opportunities in foreign markets, especially in emerging markets. Our foreign operations subject us to certain commercial, political and financial risks. In addition to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange (discussed above), our business in these foreign markets is subject to changing political, social, and geopolitical conditions, such as the evolving situations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Asia. These conditions include instability resulting from war, terrorism, insurrections and civil unrest, political conflict, and changing economic conditions, such as inflation, deflation, interest rate volatility and credit availability. Additionally, a number of factors, including U.S. relations with or among the governments of the foreign countries in which we operate, changes to international trade agreements and treaties, changes in tax laws and regulations, economic sanctions, export controls, restrictions on the ability to transfer capital across borders, tariffs and other increases in trade protectionism and barriers to market participation, or the weakening or loss of certain intellectual property rights in some countries, may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Foreign regulatory requirements, including those related to the testing, authorization, and labeling of products and import or export licensing requirements, could affect the availability of our products in these markets. In addition to these broader market conditions, our operations may also be impacted by a variety of local factors, such as competition from local companies, local product preferences and requirements, changes in local healthcare payment systems and healthcare delivery systems, changes resulting from new political administrations, and labor force instability.
The success of our operations outside the U.S. also depends, in part, on our ability to make necessary infrastructure enhancements to, among other things, our production facilities and sales and distribution networks and manage and staff widespread international operations. These and other factors may adversely impact our ability to pursue our growth strategy in these markets.
In addition, our international operations are governed by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar foreign anti-corruption laws. Global enforcement of anti-corruption laws has increased substantially in recent years, with more enforcement proceedings by U.S. and foreign governmental agencies and the imposition of significant fines and penalties. While we have implemented policies and procedures relating to compliance with these laws, our international operations, which often involve customer relationships with foreign governments, create the risk that there may be unauthorized payments or offers of payments made by employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors. We are also subject to certain U.S. and foreign laws and regulations that restrict BD from transacting business with, or making investments in, certain countries, governments, entities and individuals subject to U.S. or foreign economic sanctions or export restrictions. Any alleged or actual violations of these laws may subject us to government investigations and significant criminal or civil sanctions and other liabilities, and negatively affect our reputation and could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We are a global company that faces significant competition from a wide range of existing competitors and new market entrants. These include large medical device companies with multiple product lines, some of which may have greater financial and other resources than we do, as well as firms which are more specialized than we are with respect to particular markets or product lines. Nontraditional entrants, such as technology companies, are also entering into the healthcare industry and some may have greater financial and other
resources than we do. We face competition across all our product lines and in each market in which our products are sold on the basis of product features, clinical or economic outcomes, product quality, availability, price, services and other factors.
Our ability to compete is also impacted by changing customer and patient preferences and requirements, including increased focus on products using materials of concern and demand for more sustainable products, and for products incorporating digital capabilities, including artificial intelligence, as well as changes in the ways healthcare services are delivered, such as the transition of more care from acute to non-acute settings and increased focus on chronic disease management. In particular, the shift of care from acute to non-acute settings may also place financial pressure on hospitals and broader healthcare systems that could result in less demand for our products and services. Cost containment efforts by governments and the private sector are also resulting in increased emphasis on products that reduce costs, improve clinical results and expand patient access. In addition, changes in regulatory or market standards, including, without limitation, cybersecurity requirements, often require significant investment to maintain compliance to relevant standards. Our ability to remain competitive will depend on how well we meet these changing market and regulatory demands in terms of our product offerings and go-to-market approaches.
The medical technology industry is also subject to rapid technological change, discovery and frequent product introductions. The development of new or improved products, processes or technologies by other companies that provide better features, pricing, clinical outcomes or economic value may render our current products or subsequently developed products obsolete or less competitive. In some instances, competitors, including pharmaceutical companies, also offer (or are attempting to develop) alternative therapies for disease states that may be delivered without a medical device. Lower cost producers have also created pricing pressure, particularly in developing markets.
A substantial amount of our revenue is derived from international operations, and we anticipate that a significant portion of our future sales will continue to come from outside the U.S. The revenues we report with respect to our operations outside the U.S. have been and may continue to be adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, which are caused by a number of factors, including changes in a country's political and economic policies and inflationary conditions. Furthermore, currency exchange rates have been especially volatile in the recent past, and these currency fluctuations have affected, and may continue to affect, the reported value of our assets and liabilities, as well as our cash flows. A discussion of the financial impact of exchange rate fluctuations and the ways and extent to which we may attempt to address any impact is contained in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Any exchange rate hedging activities we engage in may only offset a portion of the adverse financial impact resulting from unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We cannot predict with any certainty changes in foreign currency exchange rates or the degree to which we can effectively mitigate these risks.
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Market dynamics, changes in reimbursement practices and coverage policies and third-party payer cost containment measures could affect the demand for our products and the prices at which they are sold.
The sale of our products and services, as well as access to them, depends, in part, on the healthcare funding landscape and how healthcare providers and facilities are reimbursed by public and private payers. Coverage policies and reimbursement levels can vary across the payer community globally, regionally, and locally, and may affect which products customers purchase, the market acceptance rate for new technologies and the prices customers are willing to pay for those products in a particular jurisdiction. In addition, third-party payers are increasingly challenging the reimbursement models and prices charged for medical products and services. Any changes to the reimbursement landscape, or adverse decisions relating to our products by administrators of these systems could significantly reduce reimbursement for procedures using our products or result in denial of reimbursement for those products, which could adversely affect customer demand, or the price customers are willing to pay for such products. See “Third-Party Reimbursement” under “Item 1. Business.”
A global trend towards limiting growth of healthcare costs may also put industry-wide pressure on medical device or clinical diagnostic pricing. In the U.S., these include value-based purchasing and managed care arrangements. Governments in China and other countries continue to use various mechanisms to control healthcare expenditures, including increased use of competitive bidding and tenders, price regulation (such as volume-based procurement programs (“VoBP”)), government imposed payback provisions, and changes in reimbursement practices and policies on average selling prices for our products, which have unfavorably impacted our revenues and may continue to impact our results of operations in certain countries.
A significant element of our strategy is to increase revenue growth by focusing on innovation and new product development. New product development requires significant investment in R&D, clinical trials and regulatory approvals. The results of our product development efforts may be affected by a number of factors, including our ability to anticipate customer needs, innovate and develop new products and technologies, successfully complete clinical trials, obtain regulatory approvals and reimbursement in the U.S. and abroad, manufacture products in a cost-effective manner, obtain appropriate intellectual property rights, and gain and maintain market acceptance of our products. In addition, patents attained by others can preclude or delay our commercialization of a product. There can be no assurance that any products now in development, or that we may seek to develop in the future, will achieve technological feasibility, obtain regulatory approval or gain market acceptance. If we are unable to develop and launch new products, our ability to maintain or expand our market position in the markets in which we participate may be negatively impacted. Even if we successfully develop new products or enhancements or new generations of existing products, they may be quickly rendered obsolete by changing customer preferences, changing industry or regulatory standards, or competitors’ innovations.
We are subject to risks associated with public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. The nature and extent of impacts from any such events are highly uncertain and unpredictable.
We are subject to risks associated with public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics. Such events could result in preventative or protective measures or other actions by governments and private health institutions that could negatively impact local or global economic conditions and result in reductions in the demand for certain of our products, negatively impacting our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, public health crises could result in significant volatility in our global supply chain network, including shortages in supply or disruptions or delays in shipments, as well as price increases, of certain materials or components used in our products and increases in transportation costs.
The scope and duration of any future public health crisis, the pace at which government restrictions are imposed and lifted, the scope of additional actions taken to mitigate the spread of disease, global vaccination and booster rates, the speed and extent to which global markets and utilization rates for our products fully recover from the disruptions caused by such a public health crisis, and the impact of these factors on our business, financial condition and results of operations, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence.
To the extent any such public health crises affect our operations and global economic conditions more generally, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described herein.
We sell products to researchers at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, government laboratories and private foundations. Research and development spending of our customers can fluctuate based on spending priorities and general economic conditions. A number of these customers are also dependent for their funding upon grants from U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and similar agencies in other countries. The level of government funding of research and development is unpredictable. The availability of governmental research funding may be adversely affected by economic conditions and governmental spending reductions, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. Any reduction or delay in governmental funding could cause our customers to delay or forgo purchases of our products.
Our ability to compete effectively depends upon our ability to attract and retain executives, key employees and other associates. Competition for experienced employees, particularly for persons with certain technical competencies in some geographies, can be a challenge. Additionally, we need qualified managers and skilled employees with technical, manufacturing and distribution experience to operate our business successfully. Our ability to recruit and retain such talent will depend on a number of factors, including how BD’s compensation, benefits, work location, corporate culture and work environment compares with those offered by our competitors and other local employers. While there has been a slight improvement in what had been an intensely competitive labor market, there continues to be pressure on skilled labor in certain markets. A sustained labor shortage or increased turnover rates within our employee base has led to, and may continue to lead to, increased costs, such as an increase in overtime necessary to meet demand and increased wages and benefit costs to attract and retain skilled employees, and could negatively affect our ability to efficiently operate our manufacturing and distribution facilities and overall business. If we cannot effectively recruit and retain qualified executives and skilled employees, we could encounter operational disruptions or other negative consequences to our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We rely on a large number of information and technology (“IT”) systems and related infrastructure, including services provided to us by third-party vendors to operate our business. We collect, use, store, transfer and otherwise process electronic information in our day-to-day operations, including personal, confidential, or proprietary information of BD and its customers, vendors and other business partners, and patients. Some of our products and systems collect personal, confidential or proprietary information regarding patients and patient therapy on behalf of our customers and some of our products are internet enabled or connect to our IT systems for maintenance and other purposes. We also have products and systems that connect to the internet, hospital networks, electronic medical record systems or electronic health record systems. In addition, we rely on networks and services, including internet sites, cloud and software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) solutions, platform-as-a-service (“PaaS”) solutions, data hosting and processing facilities, artificial intelligence, tools and other hardware, software (including open-source software) and technical applications and platforms, including some
that are managed, hosted, provided and/or used by third-party vendors, to operate our business. Further, we expect that the breadth and complexity of our IT systems and infrastructure will increase as we expand our product offerings to utilize cloud technologies and potentially artificial intelligence, which present inherent enterprise technology risks, including those related to privacy, data protection and cybersecurity, that need to be managed. The foregoing could expose us to further risk of potential breaches, failures, interruptions and disruptions.
While we are continuing to modernize our IT systems and infrastructure (such as hardware, software and operating systems), there are still technologies in operation that are more vulnerable to risk of failures, interruptions and disruptions. In addition, while we continue to enhance business continuity and disaster recovery plans and strategies, there is no guarantee that such plans and strategies will be effective or account for all eventualities. We have experienced, and could in the future experience, the failure, interruption or disruption of the functionality of our IT systems and infrastructure, or those of third-party vendors upon which we rely, which could impair our ability or that of our customers, suppliers and other business partners to conduct business, result in the loss of BD trade secrets or otherwise compromise personal, confidential or proprietary information of BD or its customers, suppliers and other business partners, or of patients, result in efficacy or safety concerns for certain of our products, result in reputational harm to our business and result in actions by regulatory bodies or civil litigation.
Cyberattacks continue to increase in frequency, sophistication and intensity, and are increasingly difficult to detect for periods of time, especially as they relate to attacks on third-party vendors. Such attacks are often carried out by motivated and highly skilled actors, who are increasingly well-resourced. Our IT systems and infrastructure, as well as those of various third parties on which we rely, have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, a variety of cyberattacks, including, but not limited to, unauthorized access, malicious code execution and/or phishing attacks, which has resulted, and could in the future result, in our and our customers’ personal, confidential or proprietary information being accessed, destroyed, lost, stolen or otherwise compromised and increased costs for cybersecurity measures or remediation. For example, through our cybersecurity monitoring tools and processes, we recently identified incidents of unauthorized activity on a portion of our IT systems, in which certain information relating to BD’s IT infrastructure and service credentials for certain BD Diagnostics Solutions, BD PyxisTM, and Parata products utilized by laboratories, hospitals and pharmacies (the “Product Service Credentials”) were accessed and/or exfiltrated. After becoming aware of the incidents, BD terminated the unauthorized access, applied additional security measures, and is working with customers to update these Product Service Credentials. While an unauthorized party would have to penetrate a customer’s local network and, in some cases, may also need to be physically present at the instrument in order to use these Product Service Credentials, until these credentials are updated, there is a risk of unauthorized access that may impact the confidentiality, integrity and/or availability of the relevant products and associated systems or data. To date, we have not been made aware of any unauthorized use of these Product Service Credentials. As of the date of this filing, the incidents have not had, and we do not expect them to have, a material impact on BD’s overall business operations, financial condition or results of operations.
In addition, certain factors, such as growth through acquisitions, rapid technology evolution, including increased adoption of artificial intelligence, and geopolitical events, have increased cybersecurity risks. In this increasingly hostile environment, we, and our third-party vendors could experience, a loss, unauthorized access to or disclosure or other compromise of personal, confidential or proprietary information, including information regarding third parties, such as customers and patients, due to a number of causes, including, but not limited to, the exploitation of system vulnerabilities, cyberattacks, unauthorized access to our products, improper data handling, breakdowns of our IT systems and infrastructure or other cybersecurity incidents or breaches. These cybersecurity incidents and breaches could adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, results of operations or competitive position in the market and result in other significant negative consequences, including lost revenue, manufacturing challenges or disruption, diversion of management attention, litigation, regulatory action and damage to our relationships with vendors, business partners and customers.
Unauthorized tampering, adulteration or interference with our products, including through cyberattacks, may also create issues with product functionality that could result in a loss of data, risk to patient safety and product recalls or field actions, as well as impact our compliance with privacy, data protection and other laws and regulations and could result in reputational damage and actions by regulatory bodies or civil litigation.
In addition, acquisitions, and the integration of acquired companies into the Company’s existing and future IT systems and infrastructure, including with third-party vendors and processes, inherently presents cybersecurity risks, such as exposing us to vulnerabilities and threats that were previously unknown or unmanaged. While we attempt to mitigate these risks through due diligence, risk assessments and the implementation of cybersecurity controls and protocols during and after the acquisition process, there can be no assurance that such measures will be sufficient to prevent, mitigate or remediate cybersecurity incidents or breaches, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
While we have made investments intended to address threats presented by cybersecurity incidents and breaches, continue to dedicate significant resources intended to protect our products and systems from cybersecurity incidents and breaches, and continue to work with government authorities and third-party vendors to detect and reduce the risk of future cybersecurity incidents and breaches, there can be no assurances that these protective measures will be sufficient to prevent cybersecurity incidents or breaches that could have a material adverse impact on our business.
Our results of operations could be negatively impacted by volatility in the cost of raw materials, components, labor, freight, energy and other production costs that, in turn, increases the costs of producing and distributing our products. New laws or regulations adopted in response to climate change could also increase energy, conversion and transportation costs, as well as the costs of certain raw materials and components. In particular, we purchase supplies of resins, which are oil-based components used to manufacture certain products, and any significant increase in resin costs, whether due to inflationary pressure, supply constraints, regulatory changes or otherwise, could adversely impact future operating results. Increases in oil prices can also increase our packaging and transportation costs. The costs of raw materials, transportation, construction, services, and energy necessary for the production and distribution of our products continues to increase and be volatile. These prices may continue to fluctuate based on many factors beyond our control. While we have implemented cost containment measures, progressed selective price increases and taken other actions to mitigate these inflationary pressures in our supply chain, we may not be able to completely offset all the increases in our operational costs.
We purchase many different types of raw materials and components used in our products, some of which are not available from multiple sources. In addition, for quality assurance, cost-effectiveness and other reasons, certain raw materials and components are purchased from sole suppliers. The price and supply of these materials and components has been, and may in the future be, impacted or disrupted for reasons beyond our control, including supplier shutdowns, supplier capacity constraints, supplier insolvencies, labor disruptions or shortages, transportation delays, inflationary pricing pressures, work stoppages, extreme weather events, geopolitical developments, global economic uncertainty or downturns, sanctions and trade restrictions, and other governmental regulatory actions (such as in the area of materials of concern) and any such changes or disruptions could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, significant challenges to our global transportation channels and other aspects of our global supply chain network, including to the cost and availability of energy, raw materials and components due to shortages, labor strikes, and cost inflation. We continuously explore
alternative routes, transportation modes, and replenishment timings to preempt and mitigate associated risks, but no assurance can be given that these efforts will adequately address these challenges and disruptions.
At a broader level, there is increased focus on the use and emission of ethylene oxide by the EPA and state environmental regulatory agencies. Additional regulatory requirements associated with the use and emission of ethylene oxide for sterilization may be imposed in the future, both domestically and outside the U.S. On April 5, 2024, the final National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (“NESHAP”): Ethylene Oxide Emissions Standards for Sterilization Facilities regulation issued by the EPA became effective. Companies generally have two years from the effective date to comply with the new requirements of the NESHAP. We are in the process of implementing certain changes to our facilities in accordance with NESHAP’s requirements, and such measures will require additional implementation and ongoing operational costs, including investments in certain new technologies.
In addition, on April 13, 2023, the EPA published a Pesticide Registration Review: Proposed Interim Decision and Draft Risk Assessment Addendum for Ethylene Oxide (“PID”). The EPA has not yet finalized the PID, which regulates the use of ethylene oxide as a sterilant and is intended to mitigate any human health and environmental risks associated with its use. We cannot predict what the final PID adopted by the EPA may require and therefore we are not able to assess the impact on our sterilization facilities, on the third-party sterilization facilities that BD utilizes and our operations more generally.
This increased regulation could require BD or sterilization service providers, including providers used by BD, to temporarily suspend operations to install additional emissions control technology, limit the use of ethylene oxide or take other actions, which would impact BD’s operations and further reduce the available capacity to sterilize medical devices and healthcare products, and could also result in additional costs. If any existing regulatory requirements or any such regulatory actions or rulemaking result in the suspension or interruption of sterilization operations at BD or at medical device sterilizers used by BD, or otherwise limit the availability of third-party sterilization capacity, this could interrupt or otherwise adversely impact production of certain of our products or lead to civil litigation or other claims against BD. BD has business continuity plans in
place to mitigate the impact of any such disruption, although these plans may not be able to fully offset such impact, for the reasons noted above. See “Item 1. Business - Regulation” for a discussion of the consent order BD entered into with the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the risk related to sterilization operations generally.
Climate change, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address climate change, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Climate change resulting from increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (“GHG”) in the atmosphere may present risks to our business and operations. Extreme weather or other conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, wildfires or flooding, which may result from climate change could adversely impact our operations and supply chain, including the availability and cost of raw materials and components required for the operation of our business, and human capital issues for BD and companies within our supply chain. In addition, access to and pricing of certain natural resources, such as water, could impact our manufacturing operations. Such conditions could also result in physical damage to our products, plants and distribution centers, as well as the infrastructure and facilities of our suppliers and of hospitals, medical care facilities and other customers.
There has been increased focus by federal, international, state and local regulatory and legislative bodies to combat and/or limit the effects of climate change through a variety of means, including regulating GHG emissions (and requirements to disclose climate-related risks and metrics, including GHG emissions), policies mandating or promoting the use of renewable or zero-carbon energy and sustainability initiatives, and additional taxes on fuel and energy. There has been, and in the future there may be additional, legislation or regulations enacted or promulgated in the United States and in other jurisdictions in which we do business that impose more stringent restrictions and requirements on our operations than our historical legal or regulatory obligations as well as additional disclosure or reporting requirements. We have experienced, and companies in our supply chain may experience, increased compliance burdens and costs to meet the regulatory obligations. Such increased compliance burdens and costs could cause disruption in the sourcing, manufacturing and distribution of our products and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Additionally, the impacts of climate change may further influence customer and other stakeholder preferences and requirements. This includes increased demand for more sustainable products, including products with lower environmental footprints, and for companies to produce and demonstrate progress against sustainability goals and GHG reduction targets, including product-level GHG emissions data. Failure to meet stakeholder expectations or our own goals or commitments relating to sustainability or GHG emissions reductions, provide sustainable products or demonstrate GHG reductions could potentially result in loss of market share, reputational impacts, or an inability to attract and retain customers.
We are or have been a defendant in a number of lawsuits, including, among others, purported class action lawsuits for alleged antitrust violations and violations of federal securities laws, environmental and product liability claims (including pending claims relating to ethylene oxide, our hernia repair implant products, surgical continence and pelvic organ prolapse products for women, vena cava filter products and implantable ports, which involve, or could in the future involve, lawsuits seeking class action status or seeking to establish multi-district litigation or other consolidated proceedings) and suits alleging patent infringement. We also are or have been subject to government investigations and civil investigative demands seeking information with respect to alleged violations of law, including in connection with federal and/or state healthcare programs (such as Medicare or Medicaid), the federal securities laws, federal contracting requirements and/or sales and marketing practices, among other things. A more detailed description of certain litigation to which we are a party is contained in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” We could be subject to additional lawsuits, governmental investigations, subpoenas and civil investigative demands in the future. Any such lawsuits, governmental investigations, subpoenas and
civil investigative demands could ultimately have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and could distract management from the operations of the business.
Reserves established for estimated losses with respect to legal proceedings do not represent an exact calculation of our actual liability, but instead represent our estimate of the probable loss at the time the reserve is established to the extent future losses are probable and reasonably estimable. Due to the inherent uncertainty of litigation and our underlying loss reserve estimates, additional reserves may be established or current reserves may be significantly increased from time-to-time. Also, in some instances, we are not able to reasonably estimate the amount or range of loss that could result from an unfavorable outcome of the litigation to which we are a party. In view of these uncertainties, we could incur charges materially in excess of any currently established accruals and, to the extent available, excess liability insurance. In addition, even if the Company believes it has meritorious defenses, from time to time the Company engages in settlement discussions and mediation and considers settlements taking into account various factors including, among other things, developments in such legal proceedings and the resulting risks and uncertainties. These activities have resulted in settlements for certain matters and going forward could result in further settlements, any of which may be confidential and could be significant and result in charges in excess of accruals. Any such future charges, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and/or liquidity.
Our operations are global and are affected by complex state, federal and international laws relating to healthcare, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, antitrust, anti-corruption, marketing, fraud and abuse (including anti-kickback and false claims laws), export control, product safety and efficacy, employment, labor, privacy and data protection, taxation, artificial intelligence and other areas. Violations of these laws can result in criminal or civil sanctions, including substantial fines and, in some cases, exclusion from participation in healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Environmental laws, particularly with respect to climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases, are also becoming more stringent throughout the world, which may increase our costs of operations or necessitate closures of, or changes to, our manufacturing plants or processes or those of our suppliers, or result in liability to BD. The enactment of additional laws and reporting requirements in the future or changes in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations, may increase our compliance costs or otherwise adversely impact our operations and financial performance. For example, the FDA’s increased oversight of laboratory developed tests may impact certain of our customers and, as a result, could affect our financial performance.
We are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, by comparable agencies in foreign countries, and by other regulatory agencies and governing bodies. Most of our products must receive authorization from the FDA or counterpart regulatory agencies in other countries before they can be marketed or sold. This process may require us to incur significant costs in terms of time and resources, and these costs have been increasing due to increased requirements from the FDA and comparable governing bodies for supporting data for submissions. The regulatory process may also require changes to our products or result in limitations on the indicated uses of our products. Governmental agencies may also impose new requirements regarding registration, including, but not limited to, labeling updates or changes to prohibited materials that require us to modify or re-register products already on the market or otherwise impact our ability
to market our products in those countries. In addition, changes we have made, or may make in the future, to our products have been, or may in the future be, subject to U.S. or foreign regulatory review, including additional 510(k) clearance, PMA approval and other marketing authorizations (such as, but not limited to, with respect to BD AlarisTM pumps and related sets and BD VacutainerTM). We have made modifications to certain of our products in the past and have determined based on our review of our internal documentation and data and the applicable FDA or foreign regulations and guidance that in certain instances new 510(k) clearances or other premarket submissions were not required. We may make similar modifications or add additional features in the future that we believe do not require a new clearance or approval. If the FDA or a foreign regulator disagrees with our determinations, we may be required to cease marketing and/or to recall the modified product until we obtain a new marketing authorization, which could result in lost revenue, additional costs and damage to our reputation. Such non-compliance may also subject the Company to civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties, or other actions being taken with respect to products in the field. Marketing authorization and the time needed to secure such authorization is uncertain and we may not be able to obtain such authorization on the timeline or conditions we expect or at all. Our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals from the FDA or foreign regulators may be difficult and could increase the cost of compliance and impact our ability to market our products.
Following the introduction of a product, these agencies also periodically review our manufacturing processes and product performance. Our failure to comply with the applicable good manufacturing practices, adverse event reporting and other post market requirements of these agencies could delay or prevent the production, marketing or sale of our products and result in delays or suspensions of regulatory clearances, warning letters or consent decrees, closure of manufacturing sites, import bans, seizures or recalls of products, civil or criminal sanctions and damage to our reputation. More stringent oversight by the FDA and other agencies in recent years has resulted in increased enforcement activity, which increases our compliance risk.
Our CareFusion 303, Inc. subsidiary is operating under a Consent Decree that affects our BD Alaris™ infusion pump business in the U.S. We are also currently operating under two warning letters issued by the FDA for our Dispensing and Specimen Management businesses. For more information regarding the consent decree and warning letters, see “Regulation” under Item 1. Business.
As previously disclosed, on July 21, 2023, BD received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its updated BD Alaris™ Infusion System, which enables both remediation and a return to market for the BD Alaris™ Infusion System. In accordance with our commitments to the FDA, all of the current BD Alaris™ Infusion System devices in the U.S. market will be remediated or replaced with the updated 510(k) cleared version over the next several years. The overall timing and cost of replacement or remediation of the BD Alaris™ Infusion Systems and return to market in the U.S. may be impacted by, among other things, customer readiness, supply continuity, and our continued engagement with the FDA.
In addition, the European Union (“EU”) has adopted the EU Medical Device Regulation (the “EU MDR”) and the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (the “EU IVDR”), each of which impose stricter requirements for the marketing and sale of medical devices, including in the area of clinical evidence requirements, quality systems and post-market surveillance. The EU MDR has been fully operational for previously approved self-certified medical devices since May 2021. The application of the EU MDR has been extended until 2027 for certain devices considered higher-risk and to 2028 for other devices. This longer transition timeline applies only to devices that are transitioning to MDR and meet other specific conditions set out in the EU IVDR. The EU IVDR has been fully applicable for manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic medical devices since May 2022. Complying with and maintaining devices under these regulations requires us to incur significant expenditures. Additionally, the availability of EU notified body services certified to the new requirements is limited, which may delay the marketing approval for some of our products under the EU MDR. Any such delays, or any failure to meet these requirements could adversely impact our business in the EU and other regions that tie their product registrations to EU conformity requirements.
We are also subject to complex and frequently changing privacy and data protection laws, rules and regulations in the U.S. and a significant number of other countries where BD operates, regarding the collection, use, storage, security, transfer and other processing of personal data. These laws, rules and regulations require companies to, among other things, proactively implement effective programs and enhance internal policies, business practices, processes, and controls and could impose significant limitations and additional compliance costs on us. In addition, these laws, rules and regulations require us to embed privacy, security and data protection requirements in all assets impacting the processing of personal data and could also require us to modify current or future products or services, which may harm our future financial results. Any actual or perceived noncompliance with these laws, rules and regulations, our internal policies and procedures or our contracts governing the processing of personal data could result in significant consequences for BD, including, among other things, business interruption, sanctions and significant pecuniary fines, regulatory inquiries and investigations, adverse publicity, loss of competitive advantage and customer trust, as well as privacy litigation and civil lawsuits with damages.
The importance of privacy and data protection laws, rules and regulations for the healthcare and med-tech industry specifically is constantly growing, as personal data is an integral part of doing business in our sector, and the legal standards are evolving and becoming more complex worldwide. A significant number of countries where we operate have enacted privacy or data protection laws, rules and regulations, the majority of which have extraterritorial scope, creating significant compliance challenges as we seek to maintain our global reach, with significant penalties for non-compliance, based on total worldwide annual revenue from the preceding financial year. In some cases, there are restrictions on the transfer of personal data outside the home country. More recently, privacy and data protection regulators are paying special attention to emerging issues linked to new digital technologies, such as the use of artificial intelligence, biometrics, and surveillance technologies, which pose unique challenges to existing privacy and data protection paradigms.
In addition, certain privacy and data protection laws, rules and regulations may apply to us indirectly through our customers, manufacturers, suppliers or other third-party partners. For example, non-compliance with applicable laws, rules or regulations by a third-party partner that is processing personal data on our behalf may be deemed non-compliant by us or a failure by us to conduct proper due diligence on the third party, which could result in material fines or litigation. We also could be subject to additional expenses and liabilities in the event of a cybersecurity incident or breach, or the failure of an IT system owned or operated by us or a third party with which we partner or its vendor.
Finally, changes in the tax laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate could increase our tax expense and/or tax payments, increase tax uncertainty and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. For example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published Pillar Two Model Rules which impose a 15% minimum tax on income of large multinational enterprises in the jurisdictions in which they operate. Pillar Two is effective in some of the jurisdictions in which we operate beginning in fiscal year 2025. We continue to evaluate the impacts of the enacted Pillar Two legislation. Tax laws, inclusive of Pillar Two legislation, in the U.S. and in other countries in which we and our affiliates do business could change on a prospective or retroactive basis, and any such changes could have a material impact on our effective tax rate and on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
Defects or quality issues associated with our products could adversely affect the results of our operations.
The design, manufacture and marketing of medical devices involve certain inherent risks. Manufacturing or design defects, component failures, unapproved or improper use of our products, or inadequate disclosure of risks or other information relating to the use of our products can lead to injury or other serious adverse events. Such events have in the past and could in the future lead to recalls or safety alerts relating to our products (either voluntary or as required by the FDA or similar governmental authorities in other countries), and could result, in certain cases, in the removal of a product from the market. A recall could result in significant costs, lost sales and customers, enforcement actions and/or investigations by state and federal governments or other enforcement bodies, as well as negative publicity and damage to our reputation that could reduce future demand for our products. Personal injuries relating to the use of our products can also result in
significant product liability claims being brought against us. In some circumstances, such adverse events could also cause delays in regulatory approval of new products or the imposition of post-market approval requirements.
Many of our businesses rely on patent, trademark and other intellectual property assets. These intellectual property assets, in the aggregate, are of material importance to our business. We can lose the protection afforded by these intellectual property assets through patent expirations, legal challenges or governmental action. Any patent applications we own or license may not result in patents being issued and any issued patents we obtain may not provide us with any competitive advantage. Furthermore, we may fail to accurately predict all of the countries where patent protection will ultimately be desirable, and if we fail to timely file a patent application in any such country, we may be precluded from doing so at a later date. Patents attained by competitors, particularly as patents on our products expire, may also adversely affect our competitive position. Competitors may design around our intellectual property to develop competing technologies and products without infringing our intellectual property rights. In addition, competitors may seek to invalidate patents on our products or claim that our products infringe upon, misappropriate or otherwise violate their intellectual property, which could result in a loss of competitive advantage or the payment of significant legal fees, damage awards and past or future royalties, as well as injunctions against future sales of our products. We also operate in countries that do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as in the U.S., which could make it easier for competitors to compete with us in those countries.
We depend on cash on hand and cash flows from operations to make scheduled debt payments. However, our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations of the Company and to utilize other methods to make scheduled payments will depend on a range of economic, competitive and business factors, many of which are outside of our control. There can be no assurance that these sources will be adequate. If we are unable to service our indebtedness and fund our operations, we will be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, seek additional capital, sell assets or refinance our indebtedness. Any such action may not be successful and we may be unable to service our indebtedness and fund our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, we may not be able to refinance existing debt on favorable or comparable terms.
The agreements that govern our indebtedness contain various affirmative and negative covenants that may, subject to certain significant exceptions, restrict the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to incur debt and the ability of us and certain of our subsidiaries to, among other things, have liens on our property, and/or merge or consolidate with any other person or sell or convey certain of our assets to any one person, engage in certain transactions with affiliates and change the nature of our business. In addition, the agreements also require us to comply with certain financial covenants, including financial ratios. Our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to comply with these provisions may be affected by events beyond our control. Failure to comply with these
covenants could result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, could accelerate our repayment obligations and could result in a default and acceleration under other agreements containing cross-default provisions. Under these circumstances, we might not have sufficient funds or other resources to satisfy all of our obligations.
On April 1, 2022, we completed the spin-off of Embecta Corp. (Embecta) (NASDAQ: EMBC), which holds our former Diabetes Care business and is now one of the world’s largest pure-play diabetes management companies in the world. The spin-off is intended to be a tax-free transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If any facts, assumptions, representations, and undertakings from BD and Embecta regarding the past and future conduct of their respective businesses and other matters are incorrect or not otherwise satisfied, the spin-off may not qualify for tax-free treatment, which could result in significant U.S. federal income tax liabilities for BD and its shareholders.
Natural disasters, war and other events beyond our control could disrupt our business and adversely affect our future revenues and operating income.
Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events (including those caused by climate change), war, global health crises, terrorism, social or political unrest, labor disruptions and international conflicts and other events beyond our control, and actions taken by the U.S. and other governments or by our customers or suppliers in response to such events, could cause significant economic disruption and political and social instability in the U.S. and areas outside of the U.S. in which we operate. These events could result in decreased demand for our products, adversely affect our manufacturing and distribution capabilities, or increase the costs for or cause interruptions in the supply of materials from our suppliers.
The following is a list of the executive officers of BD, their ages and all positions and offices held by each of them during the past five years. There is no family relationship between any executive officer or director of BD.
Thomas E. Polen51Chairman since April 2021; Chief Executive Officer since January 2020; President since April 2017; Chief Operating Officer from October 2018 to January 2020; and Executive Vice President and President - Medical Segment from October 2014 to April 2017.
Richard Byrd57Executive Vice President and President, Interventional Segment since September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Medication Delivery Solutions from March 2019 to September 2022; Worldwide President, Preanalytical Systems from December 2016 to February 2019.
Christopher J. DelOrefice53Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since September 2021; Vice President, Investor Relations, Johnson & Johnson from August 2018 to September 2021; and Chief Financial Officer, North America Hospital Medical Devices, Johnson & Johnson from June 2017 to August 2018.
Antoine C. Ezell55Executive Vice President, President of the Americas and Chief Marketing Officer since October 2020; Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer from January 2020 to October 2020; Vice President, Connected Care and Insulins, Eli Lilly and Company from January 2019 to January 2020; and prior thereto, Vice President, Enterprise Capabilities and Solutions, Eli Lilly; Chief Marketing Officer, Elanco Animal Health; and Chief Customer Officer, Eli Lilly.
Michael Feld44Executive Vice President and President, Life Sciences since August 2024; President of Hach (Veralto Corporation) from September 2023 to August 2024; Senior Vice President and General Manager of Danaher Corporation from June 2022 to September 2023; and President of Mammotome (Danaher Corporation) from January 2019 to September 2022.
Michael Garrison56Executive Vice President and President, Medical Segment since September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Medication Management Solutions from March 2020 to September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Surgery from December 2018 to March 2020; Vice President and General Manager Worldwide Infusion Systems from July 2016 to December 2018.
Roland Goette62Executive Vice President and President, EMEA since May 2017.
Pavan Mocherla55Executive Vice President and President, Greater Asia since July 2022; Country General Manager, South Asia/Managing Director from December 2017 to June 2022.
Shana Neal59Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer since April 2022; Chief Human Resources Officer of Owens & Minor from April 2018 to March 2022.
Michelle Quinn56Executive Vice President and General Counsel since April 2023; Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer from February 2022 to April 2023; Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Chief Regulatory Counsel from May 2019 to January 2023; Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer from February 2019 to May 2019.
David Shan54Executive Vice President and Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer since January 2023; Executive Vice President and Chief Quality Officer from March 2020 to August 2023; Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain from May 2018 to August 2020.
Current §1A text (2025)
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Item 1A. Risk Factors.
An investment in BD involves a variety of risks and uncertainties. The following describes some of the material risks that could adversely affect BD’s business, financial condition, operating results or cash flows. We may also be adversely impacted by other risks not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial.
Business, Economic and Industry Risks
Global economic conditions, including inflation and supply chain disruptions, could continue to adversely affect our operations.
General global economic downturns and macroeconomic trends, including heightened inflation, capital market volatility (including volatility resulting from the imposition of (and changing policies around) tariffs and related countermeasures), import or export licensing requirements, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, economic slowdown or recession, have contributed to conditions that have impacted, and may continue to impact, demand for our products and services, or the prices we can charge for our products, disrupt aspects of our supply chain, impair our ability to produce our products, increase borrowing costs and exacerbate other risks that affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, general economic conditions have adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact, the healthcare industry, including reductions in capital spending and U.S. federal funding and changes in the delivery of healthcare services, which have affected, and could in the future affect, demand for our products. Both domestic and international markets experienced inflationary pressures in fiscal year 2025 and we expect inflation to persist in the future. In addition, currency exchange rates have been especially volatile in the recent past, and these currency fluctuations have affected, and may continue to affect, the reported value of our assets and liabilities, as well as our cash flows.
We have also experienced, and may continue to experience, challenges in our global supply chain, including shortages in supply, or disruptions in production and shipments, of certain materials or components used in our products and related price increases. While to date, we have been able to manage the challenges associated with these delays and shortages without significant disruption to our business, no assurance can be given that these efforts will continue to be successful.
Our international operations subject us to certain business risks.
A substantial amount of our sales come from our operations outside the U.S., and we intend to continue to pursue growth opportunities in new and existing foreign markets. Our foreign operations subject us to certain commercial, political and financial risks. In addition to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange (discussed above), our business in these foreign markets is subject to changing political, social, and geopolitical conditions, such as the continuation and/or escalation of the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East and Asia. These conditions include instability resulting from war, terrorism, insurrections and civil unrest, political conflict and changing economic conditions, such as inflation, deflation, interest rate volatility and credit availability.
Specifically, recently enacted or any future tariffs imposed by the U.S. government (and countermeasures by non-U.S. governments) may result in adverse impacts to the global economic environment and the stability of global financial markets, which could alter global trade. The tariffs, sanctions or other trade barriers imposed by the U.S. (and countermeasures by non-U.S. governments) could adversely impact our supply chain costs or availability of certain components, demand for our products and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Unpredictability of trade policy compounds this risk. Based upon the latest published tariffs that are currently in effect, we expect tariffs to adversely impact our operating expense for fiscal year 2026 and potentially beyond, primarily relating to any products (or components) imported from countries across our global supply chain, for which there are limited mitigation opportunities.
Further, the U.S. Department of Commerce recently initiated an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, into (among other things) imports of personal protective equipment, medical consumables and medical equipment (including devices), to determine whether they threaten U.S. national security, which further creates policy uncertainty in terms of tariffs. The ultimate impact of any existing or new tariffs or other changes in international trade policies on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows is subject to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the duration of such tariffs, changes in tariff rates, the amount, scope and nature of the tariffs, any countermeasures that target countries may take or any mitigating actions that may become available. While sourcing optimization and tariff exemptions for qualifying products are key aspects of our mitigation strategy, the timing of such or the ultimate results we will realize from these efforts are uncertain. In addition, our tariff mitigation strategies may be challenged, rejected or eliminated through legislation or other challenges, or may otherwise not be effective.
Additionally, a number of factors, including U.S. relations with or among the governments of the foreign countries in which we operate, changes to international trade agreements and treaties, changes in tax laws and regulations, economic sanctions, export controls, restrictions on the ability to transfer capital across borders and other increases in trade protectionism and barriers to market participation, or the weakening or loss of certain intellectual property rights in some countries, may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Foreign regulatory requirements, including those related to the testing authorization, and labeling of products and import or export licensing requirements, could affect the availability of our products in these markets. In addition to these broader market conditions, our operations may also be impacted by a variety of local factors, such as competition from local companies, local product preferences and requirements, changes in local healthcare payment systems and healthcare delivery systems, changes resulting from new political administrations and labor force instability.
The success of our operations outside the U.S. also depends, in part, on our ability to make necessary infrastructure enhancements to, among other things, our production facilities and sales and distribution networks, and our strategic staffing plans required to support our international operations. These and other factors may adversely impact our ability to pursue our growth strategy in these markets.
In addition, our international operations increase our compliance risk. For example, such international operations are governed by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar foreign anti-corruption laws. Global enforcement of anti-corruption and bribery laws has increased substantially in recent years, with more enforcement proceedings by foreign governmental agencies and the imposition of significant fines and penalties. While we have implemented policies, procedures and training related to compliance with these laws, our international operations, which often involve customer relationships with foreign governments, create the risk that there may be unauthorized payments or offers of payments made by employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors. We are also subject to certain U.S. and foreign laws and regulations that restrict us from transacting business with, or making investments in, certain countries, governments, entities and individuals subject to U.S. or foreign economic sanctions or export restrictions. Any alleged or actual violations of these laws may subject us to government investigations and significant criminal or civil sanctions and other liabilities, and negatively affect our reputation which could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
The medical technology industry is very competitive.
We are a global company that faces significant competition from a wide range of existing competitors and new market entrants. These include large medical device companies with multiple product lines, some of which may have greater financial and other resources than we do, as well as firms which are more specialized than we are with respect to particular markets or product lines. Nontraditional entrants, such as technology companies, are also entering into the healthcare industry and some may have greater financial and other resources than we do. We face competition across all our product lines and in each market in which our products are sold on the basis of product features, clinical or economic outcomes, product quality, availability, price, services and other factors.
Our ability to compete is also impacted by changing customer and patient preferences and requirements, including changes in demand as a result of changes to U.S. federal and state policies (affecting products such as pharmaceuticals and vaccines), increased focus on products using materials of concern and demand for more sustainable products, and for products utilizing emerging technologies (such as AI), as well as changes in the ways healthcare services are delivered, such as the transition of more care from acute to non-acute settings and increased focus on chronic disease management. In particular, the shift of care from acute to non-acute settings may also place financial pressure on hospitals and broader healthcare systems that could result in less demand for our products. Tariffs and other cost containment efforts by governments and the private sector have led to increased competitiveness in terms of product pricing and have resulted and may continue to result in increased emphasis on products that reduce costs, improve clinical results and expand patient access. In addition, changes in regulatory or market standards, including, without limitation, data protection and cybersecurity requirements, often require significant investment for compliance. Our ability to remain competitive will depend on how well we meet these changing market and regulatory demands in terms of our product offerings and go-to-market approaches.
The medical technology industry is also subject to rapid technological change, discovery and frequent product introductions. The development of new or improved products, processes or technologies by other companies that provide better features, pricing, clinical outcomes or economic value may render our current products or subsequently developed products obsolete or less competitive. In some instances, competitors, including pharmaceutical companies, also offer (or are attempting to develop) alternative therapies for disease states that may be delivered without a medical device, such as oral GLP-1 medications.
The medical technology industry has also experienced a significant amount of consolidation, resulting in companies with greater scale and market presence than BD. Traditional distributors are also manufacturers of medical devices, providing another source of competition. In addition, healthcare systems and other providers are consolidating, resulting in greater purchasing power for these companies. As a result, competition among medical device suppliers to provide goods and services has increased. Group purchasing organizations and integrated health delivery networks have also served to concentrate purchasing decisions for some customers, which has led to downward pricing pressure for medical device suppliers. Further consolidation in the industry could intensify competition among medical device suppliers and exert additional pressure on the demand for and prices of our products.
Market dynamics, changes in reimbursement practices and coverage policies, third-party payer cost containment measures and health insurance coverage levels could affect demand for our products and the prices at which they are sold.
The sale of our products and services, as well as access to them, depends, in part, on the healthcare funding landscape, how healthcare providers and facilities are reimbursed by public and private payers and health insurance coverage levels and costs. Coverage policies and reimbursement levels can vary across the payer community globally, regionally and locally, and may affect which products customers purchase, the market acceptance rate for new technologies and the prices customers are willing to pay for those products in a particular jurisdiction. In addition, third-party payers are increasingly challenging the reimbursement models and prices charged for medical products and services. Any changes to the reimbursement landscape, or adverse decisions relating to our products by administrators of these systems could significantly reduce reimbursement for procedures using our products or result in denial of reimbursement for those products, which could adversely affect customer demand, or the price customers are willing to pay for such products. See “Third-Party Reimbursement” under “Item 1. Business.”
A global trend towards limiting growth of healthcare costs may also put industry-wide pressure on medical device or clinical diagnostic pricing. In the U.S., the Center for Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has proposed the expansion of its Competitive Bidding Program (“CBP”). This proposed expansion would introduce a pricing model that could significantly influence the cost structure of some medical devices in the U.S. healthcare system; specifically, those reimbursed under CMS’ Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic, Orthotic and Supplies payment system. By leveraging supplier competition to establish payment rates, the CBP mirrors purchasing initiatives seen in international markets, where procurement strategies attempt to prioritize
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cost-efficiency, which could lead to uncertainty with respect to innovation, quality and patient access challenges or supplier attrition, as seen in prior bidding cycles. In addition, we expect recently enacted and proposed changes under legislative debate to Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to impact healthcare coverage, all of which if implemented could adversely affect both the demand and prices customers are willing to pay for our products. Globally, governments in China and other countries continue to use various mechanisms to control healthcare expenditures, including increased use of competitive bidding and tenders, price regulation (such as volume-based procurement programs (“VoBP”)), government imposed payback provisions, and changes in reimbursement practices and policies on average selling prices for our products, which have unfavorably impacted our revenues and may continue to impact our results of operations in certain countries.
Reductions in customers’ research budgets or government funding may adversely affect our business.
We sell products to researchers at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, government laboratories and private foundations. Research and development spending of our customers can fluctuate based on spending priorities and general economic conditions and customers could reduce research and development spending and/or delay or avoid purchases of our products in response to economic factors. A number of these customers are also dependent for their funding upon grants from U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health and similar agencies in other countries. The level of government funding of research and development is unpredictable and we have seen a reduction in government funding in fiscal year 2025. The availability of governmental research funding has been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by policy changes, economic conditions and governmental spending reductions, including the downsizing or reduced funding of certain government agencies. Further, an extended federal government shutdown resulting from a failure to pass budget appropriations, adopt continuing funding resolutions or raise the debt ceiling, together with any other budgetary decisions limiting or delaying government spending, could negatively impact U.S. or global economic conditions.
Our future growth is dependent in part upon the development of new products, and there can be no assurance that such products will be developed.
A significant element of our strategy is to increase revenue growth by continuing to focus on innovation and new product development. New product development requires significant investment in R&D, clinical trials and regulatory approvals. The results of our product development efforts may be affected by a number of factors, including our ability to anticipate customer needs, innovate and develop new products and technologies, successfully complete clinical trials, obtain regulatory approvals and reimbursement in the U.S. and abroad, manufacture products in a cost-effective manner, obtain appropriate intellectual property rights and gain and maintain market acceptance of our products. In addition, patents attained by others can preclude or delay our commercialization of a product. There can be no assurance that any products now in development, or that we may seek to develop in the future, will achieve technological feasibility, obtain regulatory approval or gain market acceptance. If we are unable to develop and launch new products, our ability to maintain or expand our market position in the markets in which we participate may be negatively impacted. Even if we successfully develop new products or enhancements or new generations of existing products, they may be quickly rendered obsolete by changing customer preferences, changing industry or regulatory standards, or competitors’ innovations.
We are subject to foreign currency exchange risk.
A substantial amount of our revenue is derived from international operations, and we anticipate that a significant portion of our future sales will continue to come from outside the U.S. The revenue we report with respect to our international operations has been, and may continue to be, affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, which are caused by a number of factors, including changes in a country's political and economic policies, such as tariffs, and inflationary conditions. Furthermore, currency exchange rates have been volatile in the recent past, and these currency fluctuations have affected, and may continue to affect, the reported value of our assets and liabilities, as well as our cash flows. A discussion of the financial impact of exchange rate fluctuations and the ways and extent to which we may attempt to address any impact is contained
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in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Any foreign currency exchange rate hedging activities we engage in may only offset a portion of the financial impact resulting from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We cannot predict with any certainty changes in foreign currency exchange rates or the degree to which we can effectively manage these fluctuations.
We need to attract and retain key employees to be competitive.
Our ability to compete effectively depends upon our ability to attract and retain executives, key employees and other associates. Competition for experienced employees, particularly for persons with certain technical competencies in some geographies, can be a challenge. Additionally, we need qualified managers and skilled employees with technical, manufacturing and distribution experience to operate our business successfully. Our ability to recruit and retain such talent will depend on a number of factors, including how BD’s compensation, benefits, work location, corporate culture and work environment compares with those offered by our competitors and other local employers. While there has been an improvement in what had been an intensely competitive labor market, there continues to be pressure on skilled labor in certain markets. A sustained labor shortage or increased turnover rates within our employee base has led to, and may continue to lead to, increased costs, such as an increase in overtime necessary to meet demand and increased wages and benefit costs to attract and retain skilled employees, and could negatively affect our ability to efficiently operate our manufacturing and distribution facilities and overall business. If we cannot effectively recruit and retain qualified executives and skilled employees, we could encounter operational disruptions or other negative consequences to our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Operational Risks
Cybersecurity incidents and breaches or breakdowns of our information and technology systems or infrastructure could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
We rely on a large number of information and technology (“IT”) systems and related infrastructure, including services provided to us by third-party vendors to operate our business. We collect, use, store, transfer and otherwise process electronic information in our day-to-day operations, including personal, confidential, or proprietary information of BD and its customers, vendors and other business partners and patients. Additionally, some of our products and systems collect personal, confidential or proprietary information regarding patients and patient therapy on behalf of our customers and some of our products are internet enabled or connect to our IT systems for maintenance and other purposes. We also have products and systems that connect to the internet, hospital networks, electronic medical record systems or electronic health record systems. In addition, we rely on networks and services, including internet sites, cloud and software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) solutions, platform-as-a-service (“PaaS”) solutions, data hosting and processing facilities, AI, tools and other hardware, software (including open-source software) and technical applications and platforms, including some that are managed, hosted, provided and/or used by third-party vendors, to operate our business. Further, we expect that the breadth and complexity of our IT systems and infrastructure will increase as we expand our product offerings to utilize cloud technologies and AI, which present inherent enterprise technology risks, including those related to privacy, data protection and cybersecurity, that need to be managed. The foregoing could expose us to further risk of potential breaches, failures, interruptions and disruptions, which could result in adverse consequences, including regulatory inquiries or litigation, increased costs and expenses, reputational damage, lost revenue, and fines or penalties. In particular, risks associated with the deployment and use of AI into our operations generally could introduce new risks related to the management of our information and technology systems and related infrastructure and our overall cybersecurity threat landscape.
While we are continuing to modernize our IT systems and infrastructure (such as hardware, software and operating systems), there are still legacy technologies in operation that are more vulnerable to risk of failures, interruptions and disruptions. In addition, while we continue to enhance business continuity and disaster recovery plans and strategies, there is no guarantee that such plans and strategies will be effective or account for all eventualities. We have experienced, and could in the future experience, the failure, interruption or disruption of the functionality of our IT systems and infrastructure (or those of third-party vendors upon which we rely), which could impair our ability or that of our customers, suppliers and other business partners to
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conduct business. Such a disruption could also result in the loss of our trade secrets or otherwise compromise personal, confidential or proprietary information of ours or our customers, suppliers and other business partners, or of patients. Additionally, depending on the nature of such a disruption, it could result in efficacy or safety concerns for certain of our products, result in reputational harm to our business and result in actions by regulatory bodies or civil litigation.
Cyberattacks continue to increase in frequency, sophistication and intensity, and are increasingly difficult to detect in real-time and may go undetected for long periods of time, especially as they relate to attacks on third-party vendors and those utilizing emerging technologies (such as AI). Such attacks are often carried out by motivated and highly skilled actors, who are increasingly well-resourced. Our IT systems and infrastructure, as well as those of various third parties on which we rely, have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, a variety of cyberattacks, including, but not limited to, unauthorized access, malicious code execution and/or phishing attacks, which could be further exacerbated by rapid technology evolution, including increased adoption of AI and geopolitical events. For example, AI is increasingly being used by malicious actors to create more targeted cyberattacks and spread misinformation. These cyberattacks have resulted, and could in the future result, in our and our customers’ personal, confidential or proprietary information being accessed, destroyed, lost, stolen or otherwise compromised and could lead to increased costs for cybersecurity measures, insurance or remediation and adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, results of operations or competitive position in the market and result in other significant negative consequences, including lost revenue, damages or fines, manufacturing challenges or disruption, diversion of management attention, litigation, regulatory action and damage to our relationships with vendors, business partners and customers.
Unauthorized tampering, adulteration or interference with our products, including through cyberattacks, may also create issues with product functionality that could result in a loss or alteration of data, risk to patient safety and product recalls or field actions, as well as impact our compliance with privacy, data protection and other laws and regulations and could result in reputational damage and actions by regulatory bodies or civil litigation.
In addition, acquisitions and the integration of acquired companies into our existing and future IT systems and infrastructure, including with third-party vendors and processes, inherently present cybersecurity risks, such as exposing us to vulnerabilities and threats that were previously unknown or unmanaged. While we attempt to mitigate these risks through due diligence, risk assessments and the implementation of cybersecurity controls and protocols during and after the acquisition process, there can be no assurance that such measures will be sufficient to prevent, mitigate or remediate cybersecurity incidents or breaches, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
While we have made, and expect to continue making, significant investments intended to strengthen our cybersecurity posture—including measures designed to protect our products, systems, and data—we cannot guarantee that these efforts will fully prevent, mitigate or remediate cybersecurity incidents or breaches. We maintain processes designed to monitor, detect and respond to threats and collaborate with government authorities and third-party partners in an effort to reduce risk. However, given the evolving nature, sophistication, scale and frequency of cybersecurity incidents and breaches, no system can be entirely secure. A successful cybersecurity incident or breach could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
The development, deployment and use of AI in our products and business operations generally could result in regulatory action, legal liability, operational challenges or reputational harm and our failure to adapt to medical technology industry trends and developments related to AI in a timely manner (or at all) could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We have integrated (and expect to continue to integrate) AI into our products and business operations generally. We also expect to continue to develop future uses of AI and expand our existing AI capabilities to include agentic solutions, as well as pursue new AI technology partnerships with third parties. The development, deployment and use of AI (particularly generative AI) is in the early stages and presents various
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risks, including from confidentiality, privacy, data protection, cybersecurity and compliance perspectives, and raises intellectual property issues and legal, regulatory, reputational ethical, operational, technological and other concerns (see, “Our operations are dependent in part on patents and other intellectual property assets” and “Cybersecurity incidents and breaches or breakdowns of our information and technology systems or infrastructure could have a material adverse effect on our operations” elsewhere in this Item 1A, Risk Factors). Additionally, if we do not effectively adopt and integrate AI into innovative, market-differentiated products in a timely manner, our competitive position could be adversely affected.
A reduction or interruption in the supply of certain raw materials and components could adversely affect our operating results.
We purchase many different types of raw materials and components used in our products, some of which are not available from multiple sources. In addition, for quality assurance, cost-effectiveness and other reasons, certain raw materials and components are purchased from sole suppliers. Our reliance on sole suppliers can create greater exposure to shortages, magnify price swings and increase the difficulty of negotiating favorable terms. The price and supply of these materials and components has been, and may in the future be, impacted or disrupted for reasons beyond our control, including supplier shutdowns, supplier capacity constraints, supplier insolvencies, labor disruptions or shortages, transportation delays, inflationary pricing pressures, work stoppages, extreme weather events, tariffs and other geopolitical developments, global economic uncertainty or downturns, sanctions and trade restrictions and other governmental regulatory actions or inactions (such as in the area of materials of concern), including those taken as a result of a prolonged U.S. government shutdown, and any such changes or disruptions could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, significant challenges to our global transportation channels and other aspects of our global supply chain network, including to the cost and availability of energy, raw materials and components due to shortages, labor strikes and cost inflation. We continuously explore alternative routes, transportation modes and replenishment timings to preempt and mitigate associated risks, but no assurance can be given that these efforts will adequately address these challenges and disruptions.
While we work with suppliers to ensure continuity of supply and service, no assurance can be given that these efforts will be successful. In addition, due to regulatory requirements relating to the qualification of suppliers, we may not be able to establish additional or replacement sources on a timely basis or without excessive cost. The termination, reduction or interruption in supply of these raw materials and components could adversely impact our ability to manufacture and sell certain of our products, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Interruption of our manufacturing or sterilization operations could adversely affect our business.
We have manufacturing sites all over the world. In some instances, however, the manufacturing of certain of our product lines is concentrated in one or a few of our plants. Interruption to our manufacturing operations resulting from system outages, cybersecurity incidents or breaches, weather or natural disasters, regulatory requirements, labor disruptions, equipment failure or other issues in our manufacturing process, could adversely affect our ability to manufacture our products. In some instances, we may not be able to transition manufacturing to other BD sites or a third party to replace the lost production. A significant interruption of our manufacturing operations could result in lost revenues and damage to our relationships with customers.
In addition, many of our products require sterilization prior to sale, and we utilize both BD facilities and third parties for this process. In some instances, only a few facilities are qualified under applicable regulations to conduct this sterilization. To the extent we or our third-party providers are unable to sterilize our products, whether due to lack of capacity, availability of materials for sterilization (including cobalt), regulatory requirements or otherwise, we may be unable to transition sterilization to other sites or modalities in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all, which could have an adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition.
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At a broader level, there is continued focus on the use and emission of ethylene oxide by the EPA and state environmental regulatory agencies. Additional regulatory requirements associated with the use and emission of ethylene oxide for sterilization may be imposed in the future, both domestically and outside the U.S. On April 5, 2024, the final National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (“NESHAP”): Ethylene Oxide Emissions Standards for Sterilization Facilities regulation issued by the EPA became effective. While companies were initially given two years from the effective date to comply with the new requirements of the NESHAP generally, in July 2025, the current U.S. administration issued an executive order exempting medical device sterilization facilities (including certain of our facilities) from compliance with such requirements for two years beyond the initial April 2026 compliance deadline. We implemented certain changes to our facilities in accordance with NESHAP’s requirements in 2024 and 2025 and are in the process of implementing certain additional changes to our facilities to achieve compliance with such requirements by April 2028.
In addition, on April 13, 2023, the EPA published a Pesticide Registration Review: Proposed Interim Decision and Draft Risk Assessment Addendum for Ethylene Oxide. On January 14, 2025, the EPA published the Pesticide Registration Review; Interim Registration Review Decision for Ethylene Oxide (“ID”), which regulates the use of ethylene oxide as a sterilant and is intended to mitigate any human health and environmental risks associated with its use. Among other things, the ID requires medical device sterilization facilities to comply with a new and stricter occupational ethylene oxide exposure limit, establish engineering controls for worker protection, provide workers with personal protective equipment, conduct continuous stationary indoor monitoring and comply with a maximum concentration limit for ethylene oxide (with higher levels permitted if required and approved by the FDA). Compliance deadlines for the various mitigation measures required by the ID range from within 60 days to ten years of the effective date. We are in the process of assessing the impact of the ID requirements on our sterilization facilities, the third-party sterilization facilities that we utilize and our operations generally. We expect to implement certain changes at our facilities to comply with NESHAP and ID requirements, which will require us to incur additional implementation and ongoing operating costs.
This increased regulation could require us or our third-party sterilization service providers to temporarily suspend operations to install additional emissions control technology, limit the use of ethylene oxide or take other actions, which would impact our operations and further reduce the available capacity to sterilize medical devices and healthcare products, and could also result in additional costs. If any existing regulatory requirements or any such regulatory actions or rulemaking result in the suspension or interruption of our sterilization operations or at third-party medical device sterilizers we use, or otherwise limit the availability of third-party sterilization capacity, which could interrupt or otherwise adversely impact production of certain of our products or lead to civil litigation or other claims against us. We have business continuity plans in place to mitigate the impact of any such disruption, although these plans may not be able to fully offset such impact, for the reasons noted above.
Cost volatility could adversely affect our operations.
Our results of operations could be negatively impacted by volatility in the cost of raw materials, components, labor, duties, freight, energy and other production costs that, in turn, increases the costs of producing and distributing our products. New laws or regulations adopted in response to climate change, and our sustainability efforts more generally, could also increase energy, conversion and transportation costs, as well as the costs of certain raw materials and components. In particular, we purchase supplies of resins, which are oil-based components used to manufacture certain products, and any significant increase in resin costs, whether due to inflationary pressure, increase in oil prices, supply constraints, regulatory changes or otherwise, could adversely impact future operating results. In addition to increased resin costs, any future increases in oil prices could also increase our packaging and transportation costs. The overall costs of raw materials, transportation, construction, services and energy necessary for the production and distribution of our products continue to increase and be volatile. These prices may continue to fluctuate based on many factors beyond our control. While we have implemented cost containment measures, progressed selective price increases and taken other actions to mitigate these inflationary pressures in our supply chain, we may not be able to completely offset all the increases in our operational costs.
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Climate change and related sustainability efforts, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address these efforts, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Climate change resulting from increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (“GHG”) in the atmosphere may present risks to our business and operations. Extreme weather or other conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, wildfires or flooding, which may result from climate change could adversely impact our operations and supply chain, including the availability and cost of raw materials and components required for the operation of our business, as well as result in human capital issues for us and companies within our supply chain. In addition, access to (and pricing of) certain natural resources, such as water, could impact our manufacturing operations. Such conditions could also result in physical damage to our products, plants and distribution centers, as well as the infrastructure and facilities of our suppliers and of hospitals, medical care facilities and other customers.
There has also been shifting focus by federal, international, state and local regulatory and legislative bodies on combating and limiting climate change and to promote sustainability and related efforts through measures such as requiring disclosure of climate-related risks and metrics, including GHG emissions, conducting risk assessments on sustainability practices, adopting policies mandating or promoting the use of renewable or zero-carbon energy, implementing sustainability initiatives and imposing additional taxes on fuel and energy. Additional legislation or regulations in the United States and in other jurisdictions in which we and our suppliers operate may impose more stringent restrictions, and disclosure obligations. We and companies in our supply chain have experienced, and may continue to experience, increased compliance burdens and costs to meet these obligations. If we or our suppliers are unable or unwilling to comply with these obligations, it could be more difficult and/or costly to manufacture and sell certain of our products and we could experience supply chain interruptions, including impacts to sourcing and distribution. In addition, we could be subject to litigation, substantial fines and other damages if we fail to comply with these obligations, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Climate change and related regulations and sustainability efforts may also influence customer, shareholder and other stakeholder preferences and requirements, including in diverging directions. This includes increased or shifting demand for more sustainable products and for progress toward sustainability goals and GHG reduction targets, including product-level GHG emissions data. Failure to meet customer, shareholder and other stakeholder expectations or our own commitments relating to sustainability or emissions reductions could potentially result in loss of market share, reputational impacts, or challenges in attracting and retaining customers.
Legal, Quality and Regulatory Risks
We are subject to lawsuits.
We are or have been a defendant in a number of lawsuits, including, among others, purported class action lawsuits for alleged antitrust violations and violations of federal securities laws, environmental and product liability claims (including pending claims relating to ethylene oxide, our hernia repair implant products, surgical continence and pelvic organ prolapse products for women, vena cava filter products and implantable ports, which involve, or could in the future involve, lawsuits seeking class action status or seeking to establish multi-district litigation or other consolidated proceedings) and suits alleging patent infringement. We also are or have been subject to government investigations and civil investigative demands seeking information with respect to alleged violations of law, including in connection with federal and/or state healthcare programs (such as Medicare or Medicaid), the federal securities laws, federal contracting requirements and/or sales and marketing practices, among other things. A more detailed description of certain litigation to which we are a party is contained in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” We could be subject to additional lawsuits, governmental investigations, subpoenas and civil investigative demands in the future. Any such lawsuits, governmental investigations, subpoenas and civil investigative demands could ultimately have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and could distract management from the operations of the business.
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Accruals are established for legal proceedings to the extent losses for individual matters are probable and reasonably estimable based upon our assessment of the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes relative to these matters, as well as the potential ranges of probable losses. Given the uncertain nature of litigation generally, we are not able in all cases to reasonably estimate the amount or range of loss that could result from an unfavorable outcome of litigation in which we are a party. Also, accruals relating to legal proceedings may change in the future as new information for an individual matter becomes available or due to changes in our litigation strategy. Given the uncertain nature of litigation, we could incur charges in excess of any currently established accruals and, to the extent available, liability insurance and any such future charges, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition and/or consolidated cash flows. In addition, even if we believe we have meritorious defenses, from time to time we engage in settlement discussions and mediation and consider settlements taking into account various factors including, among other things, developments in such legal proceedings and the resulting risks and uncertainties. These activities have resulted in settlements for certain matters and going forward could result in further settlements, any of which may be confidential and could be significant and result in charges in excess of accruals. Any such future charges, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and/or liquidity.
With respect to certain litigation, we believe that some settlements and judgments, as well as legal defense costs, may be covered in whole or in part under applicable insurance policies with a limited number of insurance companies, or, in some circumstances, indemnification obligations owed to us by other parties. However, amounts recovered under these arrangements may be less than the stated coverage limits or less than otherwise expected and may not be adequate to cover damages and/or costs. In addition, there is no guarantee that insurers or other parties will pay claims or that coverage or indemnity will be otherwise available. Also, for certain product liability claims or lawsuits, BD does not maintain or has limited remaining insurance coverage, and we may not be able to obtain additional insurance on acceptable terms or at all that will provide adequate protection against potential liabilities.
We are subject to extensive regulation.
Our operations are global and are affected by complex state, federal and international laws relating to healthcare, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, antitrust, anti-corruption, marketing, fraud and abuse (including anti-kickback and false claims laws), export control, product safety and efficacy, employment, labor, privacy and data protection, taxation, the development, deployment and use of emerging technologies (such as AI) and other areas. Violations of these laws can result in criminal or civil sanctions, including substantial fines and, in some cases, exclusion from participation in healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Environmental laws, particularly with respect to climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases, are also generally becoming more stringent throughout the world, which may increase our costs of operations or necessitate closures of, or changes to, our manufacturing plants or processes or those of our suppliers, or result in liability to BD. The enactment of additional laws and reporting requirements in the future or changes in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations, may increase our compliance costs or otherwise adversely impact our operations and financial performance.
We are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, by comparable agencies in foreign countries, and by other regulatory agencies and governing bodies. Most of our products must receive authorization from the FDA or counterpart regulatory agencies in other countries before they can be marketed or sold. This process may require us to incur significant costs in terms of time and resources, and these costs have been increasing due to increased requirements from the FDA and comparable governing bodies for supporting data for submissions. The regulatory process may also require changes to our products or result in limitations on the indicated uses of our products. Governmental agencies may also impose new requirements regarding registration, including, but not limited to, labeling updates or changes to prohibited materials that require us to modify or re-register products already on the market or otherwise impact our ability to market our products in those countries. In addition, government shutdowns, recent reductions in U.S. government agency staffing and government spending more generally could impact ordinary course operations of agencies with which we interact routinely, such as the FDA. Following these reductions, the agencies may
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lack adequate staff and resources to meet current review, approval and inspection schedules, which could delay the receipt of or otherwise adversely affect the outcomes of product authorizations we seek.
Further, changes we have made, or may make in the future, to our products have been, or may in the future be, subject to U.S. or foreign regulatory review, including additional 510(k) clearance, PMA approval, CE Mark and other marketing authorizations (such as, but not limited to, with respect to BD AlarisTM System and infusion sets and BD VacutainerTM). We have made modifications to certain of our products in the past and have determined based on our review of our internal documentation and data and the applicable FDA or foreign regulations and guidance that in certain instances new 510(k) clearances or other premarket submissions were not required. We may make similar modifications or add additional features in the future that we believe do not require a new marketing authorization. If the FDA or a foreign regulator disagrees with our determinations, we may be required to cease marketing and/or to recall the modified product until we obtain a new marketing authorization, which could result in lost revenue, additional costs and damage to our reputation. Such non-compliance may also subject us to civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties, or other actions being taken with respect to products in the field. Marketing authorization and the time needed to secure such authorization is uncertain and we may not be able to obtain such authorization on the timeline or conditions we expect or at all. Our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory clearances or approvals from the FDA or foreign regulators may be difficult and could increase the cost of compliance and impact our ability to market our products.
Following the introduction of a product, these agencies also periodically review our manufacturing processes and product performance. Our failure to comply with the applicable good manufacturing practices, adverse event reporting and other post market requirements of these agencies could delay or prevent the production, marketing or sale of our products and result in delays or suspensions of regulatory clearances, warning letters or consent decrees, closure of manufacturing sites, import bans, seizures or recalls of products, civil or criminal sanctions and damage to our reputation. More stringent oversight by the FDA and other agencies can result in increased enforcement activity, which could increase our compliance risk.
Our CareFusion 303, Inc. subsidiary is operating under an amended Consent Decree that affects our BD Alaris™ infusion pump business in the United States. We are also currently operating under two warning letters issued by the FDA for our Dispensing and Specimen Management businesses. For more information regarding the consent decree and warning letters, see “Regulation” under Item 1. Business.
As previously disclosed, on July 21, 2023, BD received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its updated BD Alaris™ Infusion System, which enabled both remediation and a return to market for the BD Alaris™ Infusion System. To address open recalls and ensure devices at customer sites are running a recent, cleared version of the BD Alaris™ Infusion System Software, BD Alaris™ Infusion System devices in the U.S. market are being remediated or replaced with the updated 510(k) cleared version, which we expect to be substantially complete over the next calendar year. The overall timing and cost of replacement or remediation of the BD Alaris™ Infusion Systems and return to market in the U.S. may be impacted by, among other things, customer readiness, supply continuity, and our continued engagement with the FDA.
In addition, the European Union (“EU”) has adopted the EU Medical Device Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/745, the “EU MDR”) and the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/746, the “EU IVDR”), each of which impose stricter requirements for the marketing and sale of medical devices, including in the area of clinical evidence, quality management systems and post-market surveillance. Although the EU MDR has been fully applicable for previously approved self-certified medical devices since May 2021, the application of the EU MDR has been extended until 2027 for certain devices considered higher-risk and to 2028 for other devices. This longer transition timeline applies only to devices that are transitioning to MDR and meet other specific conditions. The EU IVDR has been applicable since May 2022, but transition periods apply for certain in vitro diagnostic medical devices. Complying with and maintaining devices under these regulations requires us to incur significant expenditures. Additionally, the availability of EU-notified body services certified under the new requirements is limited, which may delay the marketing approval for some of our products under these regulations. Any such delays, or any failure to meet these requirements could adversely impact our business in the EU and other regions that tie their product registrations to EU conformity requirements.
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We are also subject to complex and rapidly evolving privacy and data protection laws, regulations and standards which govern the collection, use, storage, transfer, sharing and processing of personal data (particularly sensitive health information) across the U.S. and a significant number of other countries where we operate. The nature of our technologies and data-driven solutions amplifies privacy and data protection risks, especially as we employ could-based infrastructures, AI and other emerging digital capabilities. These innovations can introduce new vectors for data exposure, algorithmic bias, and regulatory scrutiny. These laws, rules and regulations require, among other things, proactive implementation of comprehensive compliance programs, continuous enhancement of internal policies, business practices, processes, and integration of technical and organizational safeguards across all assets and activities that process personal data. These requirements often entail operational constraints and higher compliance costs and may require us to modify existing or future products, potentially impacting innovation timelines and financial performance.
Furthermore, privacy and data protection risks extend beyond our direct operations. Non-compliance by third-party vendors, manufacturers, or service providers (especially those involved in data processing) can expose us to liability indirectly. Cybersecurity incidents, system failures, or breaches involving our own infrastructure or that of our partners may trigger regulatory scrutiny, financial penalties, business interruption, reputational harm, loss of competitive advantage and customer trust, as well as privacy litigation and civil lawsuits with damages.
Finally, changes in the tax laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate could increase our tax expense and/or tax payments, increase tax uncertainty and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development published Pillar Two Model Rules, which impose a 15% global minimum tax, that became effective in some of the jurisdictions in which we operate in fiscal year 2025, and we continue to assess their impact. Future changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws, including under Pillar Two, whether prospective or retroactive, could materially impact our effective tax rate, business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Defects or quality issues associated with our products and related regulatory actions could adversely affect our results of operations and financial statements.
The design, manufacture and marketing of medical devices involve certain inherent risks. Manufacturing or design defects, component failures, unapproved or improper use of our products, or inadequate disclosure of risks or other information relating to the use of our products can lead to injury or other serious adverse events. The acquisition and integration of acquired companies increases our exposure to this risk. Such events have in the past and could in the future lead to recalls or safety alerts relating to our products (either voluntary or as required by the FDA or similar governmental authorities in other countries), and could result, in certain cases, in the removal of a product from the market. In addition, any recall could result in the establishment or increase in financial reserves, which in turn would increase financial reporting and other disclosure obligations, the loss of sales and customers, enforcement actions and/or investigations by state and federal governments or other enforcement bodies and related fines and penalties, as well as negative publicity and damage to our reputation that could reduce future demand for our products. Personal injuries relating to the use of our products can also result in significant product liability claims being brought against us. In some circumstances, such adverse events could also cause delays in regulatory approval of new products or the imposition of post-market approval requirements.
Our operations are dependent in part on patents and other intellectual property assets.
Many of our businesses rely on patent, trademark and other intellectual property assets. These intellectual property assets, in the aggregate, are of material importance to our business. We can lose the protection afforded by these intellectual property assets through patent expirations, legal challenges or governmental action. Any patent applications we own or license may not result in patents being issued and any issued patents we obtain may not provide us with any competitive advantage. Furthermore, we may fail to accurately predict all of the countries where patent protection will ultimately be desirable, and if we fail to timely file a patent application in any such country, we may be precluded from doing so at a later date. Patents attained by competitors, particularly as patents on our products expire, may also adversely affect our competitive position. Competitors may design around our intellectual property to develop competing
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technologies and products without infringing our intellectual property rights. In addition, competitors may seek to invalidate patents on our products or claim that our products infringe upon, misappropriate or otherwise violate their intellectual property, which could result in a loss of competitive advantage or the payment of significant legal fees, damages and past or future royalties, as well as injunctions against future sales of our products. We also operate in countries that do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as in the U.S., which could make it easier for competitors to compete with us in those countries. Further, governmental regulation and laws related to AI and other emerging technologies may increase the burden and cost of research and development or require increased transparency that makes it more difficult to protect our intellectual property.
We also rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how with which we seek to protect our products, in part, by confidentiality agreements with certain employees, consultants and other parties. These agreements may not adequately protect our trade secrets and other proprietary rights. These agreements may be breached and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently developed by our competitors.
The loss of a significant portion of our portfolio of intellectual property assets may have an adverse effect on our earnings, financial condition or cash flows.
Risks Relating to Our Indebtedness
We may not be able to service all of our indebtedness.
We depend on cash on hand and cash flows from operations to make scheduled debt payments. However, our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from our operations and to utilize other methods to make scheduled payments will depend on a range of economic, competitive and business factors, many of which are outside of our control. There can be no assurance that these sources will be adequate. Further, our ability to refinance our indebtedness could be adversely impacted by the loss of our “well-known seasoned issuer” status upon the filing of this annual report due to our entry into a December 2024 SEC Order. If we are unable to service our indebtedness and fund our operations, through the raising of additional capital or otherwise, we will be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, seek additional capital, sell assets or refinance our indebtedness. Any such action may not be successful and we may be unable to service our indebtedness and fund our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, we may not be able to refinance existing debt on favorable or comparable terms.
The agreements that govern our indebtedness impose restrictions that may affect our ability to operate our businesses.
The agreements that govern our indebtedness contain various affirmative and negative covenants that may, subject to certain significant exceptions, restrict the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to incur debt and the ability of us and certain of our subsidiaries to, among other things, have liens on our property, merge or consolidate with any other person or sell or convey certain of our assets to any one person. In addition, the agreements also require us to comply with certain financial covenants, including financial ratios. Our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to comply with these provisions may be affected by events beyond our control. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, could accelerate our repayment obligations and could result in a default and acceleration under other agreements containing cross-default provisions. Under these circumstances, we might not have sufficient funds or other resources to satisfy all of our obligations.
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Risks Relating to the Proposed Combination of Our Biosciences and Diagnostics Solutions Business with Waters
The proposed combination of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters may not be completed, on the currently contemplated timeline or at all.
On July 13, 2025, we entered into a definitive agreement with Waters to combine our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters. The transaction, if consummated, would result in our shareholders owning approximately 39.2% of the combined company and existing Waters shareholders owning approximately 60.8% of the combined company. The transaction is expected to close around the end of the first quarter of calendar year 2026, subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals, Waters stockholder approval, compliance with applicable SEC requirements, the receipt of a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service regarding certain matters germane to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the transactions and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. No assurances can be provided that such closing conditions will be satisfied or waived or that the transaction will be consummated, on the currently contemplated timeline or at all. A failure to complete the transaction, or a delay in doing so, could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In the event that the transaction does not close, we will be required to bear significant non-recurring costs in connection with the transaction.
The announcement and pendency of the combination of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters could cause disruptions in our business.
The completion of the separation of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business and combination of the business with Waters will require significant amounts of time and effort, which could divert management attention, disrupt the activities of our employees and have negative implications for our relationships with our customers and other third parties. We have already incurred and expect to incur additional costs and expenses in connection with the separation and combination. Until the consummation or termination of the transaction, we are also required to operate the business in the ordinary course and we are restricted from taking certain specified actions with respect to our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business without Waters’ consent. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition, result of operations and cash flows.
We may not realize some or all of the expected benefits of the combination of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters.
If the separation of our Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business and combination of the business with Waters is completed, the anticipated operational, financial, strategic and other benefits of such transaction to us and our shareholders may not be achieved. In addition, we have agreed to provide certain transition services to the combined company, which may result in additional expenses and may divert our focus and resources that would otherwise be invested into maintaining or growing our businesses. An inability to realize tsome or all of the anticipated benefits of the transaction, as well as any delays encountered in the process, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, while it is expected that the transaction would be generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes to us and our shareholders, no assurances can be provided that the transaction will qualify for such treatment. If the transaction is ultimately determined to be taxable, this could result in significant U.S. federal income tax liabilities for us and our shareholders. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Risks Relating to the Spin-off of Embecta Corp.
On April 1, 2022, we completed the spin-off of Embecta Corp. (“Embecta”) (NASDAQ: EMBC), which holds our former Diabetes Care business. The spin-off is intended to be a tax-free transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If any facts, assumptions, representations and undertakings from BD and Embecta regarding the past and future conduct of their respective businesses and other matters are incorrect or not
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otherwise satisfied, the spin-off may not qualify for tax-free treatment, which could result in significant U.S. federal income tax liabilities for us and our shareholders.
General Business Risks
We cannot guarantee that any of our strategic acquisitions, investments or alliances will be successful.
We seek to supplement our internal growth through strategic acquisitions, investments and alliances. Such transactions are inherently risky, and the integration of any newly-acquired business requires significant effort and management attention. The success of any acquisition, investment or alliance may be affected by a number of factors, including our ability to properly assess and value the potential business opportunity or to successfully integrate any business we may acquire into our existing business. There can be no assurance that any past or future transaction will be successful.
Natural disasters, public health crises, war and other events beyond our control could disrupt our business and adversely affect our future revenues and operating income.
Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events (including those caused by climate change), war, public health crises (such as pandemics and epidemics), terrorism, social or political unrest, labor disruptions and international conflicts and other events beyond our control, and actions taken by the U.S. and other governments, private health institutions or by our customers or suppliers in response to such events, could cause significant economic disruption and political and social instability in the U.S. and areas outside of the U.S. in which we operate. Such events are inherently unpredictable, and our responses may involve the implementation of measures which may not be successful. These events could have a negative impact on the capital markets or result in decreased demand for our products, adversely affect our manufacturing and distribution capabilities or increase the costs for or cause interruptions in the supply of materials from our suppliers.
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Information About our Executive Officers
The following is a list of the executive officers of BD as of September 30, 2025, their ages and all positions and offices held by each of them during the past five years. There is no family relationship between any executive officer or director of BD.
NameAgePosition
Thomas E. Polen52Chairman since April 2021; Chief Executive Officer since January 2020; President since April 2017; Chief Operating Officer from October 2018 to January 2020.
Richard Byrd58Executive Vice President and President, Interventional Segment since September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Medication Delivery Solutions from March 2019 to September 2022.
Christopher J. DelOrefice54Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since September 2021; Vice President, Investor Relations, Johnson & Johnson from August 2018 to September 2021.
Antoine C. Ezell56Executive Vice President, President of the Americas and Chief Marketing Officer since October 2020; Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer from January 2020 to October 2020; Vice President, Connected Care and Insulins, Eli Lilly and Company from January 2019 to January 2020.
Michael Feld45Executive Vice President and President, Life Sciences since August 2024; President of Hach (Veralto Corporation) from September 2023 to August 2024; Senior Vice President and General Manager of Danaher Corporation from June 2022 to September 2023; and President of Mammotome (Danaher Corporation) from January 2019 to September 2022.
Michael Garrison57Executive Vice President and President, Medical Segment since September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Medication Management Solutions from March 2020 to September 2022; Worldwide President, BD Surgery from December 2018 to March 2020.
Roland Goette63Executive Vice President and President, EMEA since May 2017.
Pavan Mocherla56Executive Vice President and President, Greater Asia since July 2022; Country General Manager, South Asia/Managing Director from December 2017 to June 2022.
Bilal Muhsin45Executive Vice President and President of Connected Care Segment since July 2025; Chief Operating Officer of Masimo Corporation from April 2019 to July 2025.
Shana Neal60Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer since April 2022; Chief Human Resources Officer of Owens & Minor from April 2018 to March 2022.
David Shan55Executive Vice President and Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer since January 2023; Executive Vice President and Chief Quality Officer from March 2020 to August 2023; Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain from May 2018 to August 2020.