Becton Dickinson(BD) has agreed to acquire rival medical devices company C. R. Bard, which specialises in the fields of vascular, urology, oncology and surgical speciality products, for a costly total of US$24 B. The acquisition will help increase BD’s presence in non-US markets and expand coverage in high-growth areas, such as oncology and surgery, whilst also expanding offerings into areas such as vascular disease, urology and hernia care. The deal follows BD’s US$12.2 B acquisition of CareFusion in 2015.