MEXICO —BD & Co. has inaugurated a new US$38.6 million manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico that spans 15,775 square meters and will add 500 new jobs there over the next two years.

Government officials from Mexico and Baja, California joined in the opening of the medication management plant.

BD plans for the facility to produce devices and technologies that improve medications safety within healthcare settings.

Phase I of the facility will create 75 jobs that will be responsible for manufacturing automated dispensing cabinets that healthcare professionals use to dispense medications to patients.

The company intends to export these devices to countries in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Julio Duclos, BD’s top executive in Mexico, noted that the plant in Tijuana is the company’s 12th manufacturing facility in Mexico.

The new factory “is a testament to our commitment to Mexico and the strong relationship we’ve built in communities across the country over the past 65 years,” he said.

The 17,000 BD employees in Mexico are focused on producing high-quality medical devices that are used by health care providers and patients around the world. We look forward to continuing to grow in Mexico,” he added.

Although there are security concerns in some parts of northern Mexico, the region is attractive to manufacturers due to its proximity to the United States and affordable labor costs, among other factors.

BD continues to expand medication facilities

BD said its expansion in Tijuana represents part of a four-year strategic investment plan. The company intends to invest US$1.2 billion to expand and upgrade technology and production capacity across the world, including in Mexico.

Just over one year ago, BD broke ground on its US$200 million pre-filled drug delivery device manufacturing plant in Spain.

The expansion of the infrastructure in Tijuana is part of a four-year strategic plan in which the company will invest US$1.2 billion (USD) to expand and upgrade its technology and production capacity in various regions of the world, including Mexico.

The company plans to build upon its six existing sites in Columbus, Nebraska; Cuautitlán, Mexico; Fukushima, Japan; Le Pont-de-Claix, France; Swindon, United Kingdom; and Tatabánya, Hungary.

In another development, BD, recently introduced the BD Effivax Glass Prefillable Syringe, a next-generation glass prefillable syringe (PFS).

The most recent PFS was developed in collaboration with key pharmaceutical companies to meet the complex and ever-changing requirements of vaccine manufacturing.

The BD Effivax Glass Prefillable Syringe will derive benefits from the US$1.2 billion, a four-year investment that BD announced in late 2020 to expand and upgrade manufacturing capacity and technology for PFS.

BD expects to maintain robust capacity for PFS on the back of its plans for future vaccinations, including mRNA and those used for COVID-19.

This is expected to help reduce the time and labor required for vaccine preparation with traditional vial form.

Per BD’s management, the latest product offering will likely create efficiencies in end-to-end production needed to support the biopharmaceutical companies’ growth in their vaccine pipelines.

Industry prospects and significant medical developments

Per a report by Allied Market Research, the global PFS market was valued at US$5.6 billion in 2020 and is anticipated to reach US$15.7 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 10.8%.

Factors like growing demand for efficient and easy-to-use drug delivery devices and increasing efforts of healthcare professionals to reduce hospital errors are likely to drive the market.

Given the market potential, the latest launch is expected to significantly strengthen BD’s business worldwide.

BD purchased MedKeeper, a provider of modern, cloud-based pharmacy management applications, in July.

The acquisition is expected to supplement BD’s existing pharmacy presence and expand its Medication Management Solutions (MMS) business unit.

BD and Frazier Healthcare Partners announced a definitive agreement in June for the former to purchase Parata Systems for US$1.525 billion.

Following the acquisition, BD’s MMS business unit will be bolstered by a new set of technologies spanning the care continuum, including acute care health systems, retail pharmacies, long-term care, and home settings. The buyout was completed in July.

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