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BD Names Jeffrey S. Sherman Vice President and General Counsel

Contact: Colleen T. White
Corporate Communications
(201) 847-5369
Email: colleen_white@bd.com

Franklin Lakes, NJ (December 29, 2003) -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE:BDX) today announced that Jeffrey S. Sherman has been named Vice President and General Counsel, effective January 5, 2004.

"BD has the good fortune to have attracted a general counsel of Jeffrey Sherman's character and experience," said Edward J. Ludwig, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "His broad and deep background in corporate governance, securities issues and transactional law is essential in today's business environment and will serve BD well. It is a pleasure to welcome Jeffrey to BD, and to our Leadership Team."

In his role at BD, Mr. Sherman will report directly to Mr. Ludwig. He will have overall responsibility for BD's Law Department, including the Corporate Secretary's Office and Ethics Office.

Mr. Sherman joins BD from Wyeth, where he served most recently as Vice President and Associate General Counsel. He joined Wyeth in 1990 and held various legal positions of increasing responsibility during his tenure there, leading to his appointment as Associate General Counsel in 2001. Prior to Wyeth, Mr. Sherman was a partner with the New York City law firm of Shereff, Friedman, Hoffman & Goodman (now Swidler, Berlin, Shereff, Friedman, LLP).

Mr. Sherman received his B.A. degree, cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany and his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School.

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, 2003, BD reported total revenues of $4.528 billion.

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements (as defined under Federal securities laws) regarding BD's performance, including future revenues, products and income, or events or developments that BD expects to occur or anticipates occurring in the future. All such statements are based upon current expectations of BD and involve a number of business risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from anticipated results described, implied or projected in any forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to: competitive factors; pricing and market share pressures; uncertainties of litigation; BD's ability to achieve sales and earnings forecasts, which are based on sales volume and product mix assumptions, to achieve its cost savings objectives, and to achieve anticipated synergies and other cost savings in connection with acquisitions; changes in regional, national or foreign economic conditions; increases in energy costs; fluctuations in costs and availability of raw materials and in BD's ability to maintain favorable supplier arrangements and relationships; changes in interest or foreign currency exchange rates; delays in product introductions; and changes in health care or other governmental regulation, as well as other factors discussed in this press release and in BD's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend to update any forward-looking statements.