Becton Dickinson to purchase Bard for $24B

U.S. medical equipment supplier Becton Dickinson agreed to acquire C. R. Bard Inc. for $24 billion.

"We are confident that this combination will deliver meaningful benefits for customers and patients, as we see opportunities to leverage Becton Dickinson's leadership, especially in medication management and infection prevention," Bard CEO Tim Ring said in a statement.

With the purchase of Bard, Becton Dickinson would be able to expand its focus on the treatment of disease states beyond diabetes, including peripheral vascular disease, urology, hernia and cancer.

Read more from Reuters.