ICN Pharma Buys Becton Unit

ICN Pharmaceuticals of California, USA, has acquired the Radioimmuno-assay Division of Becton Dickinson, based in Orangeburg, New York, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition doubles the size of ICN's existing radioimmunoassay activities, resulting in a $20 million unit offering a wide range of diagnostic products. The Becton division had sales of approximately $12 million in 1994.

ICN chairman and chief executive Milan Panic commented that "with a larger platform and outstanding production facilities, we will be particularly well positioned to expand sales in eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia, where we have an excellent distribution network and where diagnostic products based on radioactive isotopes are under-used."