
Becton Dickinson & Co. (NYSE:BDX) won FDA 510(k) clearance for its BD Veritor 10-minute diagnostic test for influenza A and B last month, amid rumors that the Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based company is ripe for buyout.
Veritor is the first rapid flu test with a digital readout, while older tests are slower, less accurate and more difficult to interpret, according to BD.
The digital readout precludes the need for a subjective analysis of the assay, and the system requires few steps and no sample incubation in advance.
The flu A+B assay is the first of many planned for the BD Veritor platform, according to a press release.
The news followed a particularly low point for the company after its valuation was at its lowest since 1993 after reporting dismal 3rd quarter earnings early in November, leading to speculation about a possible buyout.

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