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wbjournal.com | February 23, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 3 BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer W aters Corp., a Milford-based life sciences manufacturer, has completed its acquisition of the biosciences and diagnostic solutions businesses of New Jersey-based medtech company Becton, Dickinson and Co., in a transaction valued at $18.8 billion. e closure comes seven months aer Waters announced its acquisition plans in July. "As we enter this next chapter, our focus is clear: address our customers' unmet needs, deliver long-term value for our shareholders, and provide solutions that advance global health. rough our category-defining products and shared culture of innovation, I am confident that together we will accelerate the benefits of pioneering science," Waters President and CEO Udit Batra said in a Feb. 9 press release. With the acquisition, Waters has created four divisions to develop and manufacture large and small molecule therapeutics and food and environmental testing and expand specialty diagnostics, according to the Waters release. e transaction's value was announced in a separate Feb. 9 press release from BD. Combining both Waters and BD New commissioner "I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff, community partners, and residents to strengthen public health, expand access to essential services, and build equitable health systems as deserved by the community." Seema Dixit on being named the City of Worcester's new health and human services commissioner Historic CEO "My immediate focus will be on expanding Veristat's early-stage strategic consulting capabilities, enabling closer collaboration with clients to finalize and deliver drug development programs, optimize clinical trial design, and streamline regulatory pathways to approval." Kim McLean Boericke on assuming her role as CEO of Veristat in Southborough. Boericke is the firm's first female leader. $250K accelerator "This is more than an accelerator. The cohort is an invitation for emerging companies across the country to come build where the future of bioinnovation is rapidly taking shape." Jon Weaver, president and CEO of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, on the incubator's new partnership with Worcester startup hub Auxilium to launch a three-month $250,000 accelerator program for budding life sciences businesses Waters finalizes $19B bioscience division acquisition divisions, the company's new branches are named: Waters Analytical Sciences, Waters Biosciences, Waters Advanced Diagnostics, and Waters Materials Sciences. In addition to the acquisition, Waters' has appointed Claire Fraser to its board of directors, bringing the board's membership to 11. A genome scientist, Fraser has stepped down from BD's board of directors following a 20-year tenure. "Dr. Fraser is an internationally recognized scientist with an extensive background in genomics, infectious diseases, and molecular diagnostics. We will benefit from her expertise and deep knowledge of the business to help oversee our next era of growth and value creation," Dr. Flemming Ørnskov, Waters' chairman, said in the company's release. Waters used Barclays, based in London, as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis, with a location in Boston, as its lead legal counsel. BD used Citi as lead financial advisor and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as lead legal counsel, both out of New York City. Founded in 1958, Waters is the third- largest life sciences company in Central Massachusetts and the fih-largest manufacturer in the region, according to data collected by WBJ's Research Department. Employing 1,450 in Central Massachusetts, Waters produces analytics instruments and soware for disease detection, environmental safety testing, and the production of new medicines. Waters Corp. W PHOTO | WBJ FILE