BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) has signed an agreement to sell the Company’s Clontech operation, a unit of BD Biosciences, to Takara Bio Inc., Otsu, Japan, subject to regulatory approvals. BD’s plan to sell Clontech was previously announced on October 4, 2004.

BD is a medical technology company that serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry, and the general public. BD manufactures and sells a broad range of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2004, BD reported total revenues of $4.935 billion.