Becton Dickinson Gets OK From FTC to Buy C.R. Bard

Becton Dickinson & Co. got clearance Dec. 22 from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to complete its $24 billion purchase of rival medical device firm C.R. Bard Inc., conditioned on its sale of two diagnostic product lines.

The FTC will require the sale of Becton Dickinson’s soft tissue core needle biopsy device business and Bard’s tunneled home drainage catheter system business. Both units will be sold to Utah-based medical device supplier Merit Medical Systems under the FTC settlement.

Becton Dickinson CEO Vincent Forlenza said in a Dec. 22 statement that his company expects to close the Bard deal before ...