Orion Pharma Invests Over $112 Million to Upgrade Four Finland Manufacturing Sites

Finnish drugmaker Orion Pharma has launched an investment programme exceeding USD 112 million that will touch every one of its four Finnish manufacturing sites, with work running from 2027 through 2030.

The programme spans the full pharmaceutical production chain, active pharmaceutical ingredients, tablets, hormonal gels, and quality control, and is aimed squarely at raising capacity, modernising ageing infrastructure and preparing the company to manufacture potential future medicines.

Commitment to Upgrading Manufacturing for Future Medicines

Orion, whose headquarters sit in Espoo, says the upgrades will support the production of growing export products while also building readiness for small-molecule innovative medicines currently in development, should those projects succeed and secure marketing authorisation.

"These extensive investments demonstrate our long-term commitment to pharmaceutical manufacturing in Europe. We are making upgrades to numerous stages of our manufacturing network, from the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients to finished medicines and quality control. This enables us to meet growing demand, improve operational efficiency, and prepare for the manufacture of new pharmaceutical innovations," says Juhani Kankaanpää, Executive Vice President, Global Operations.

"Through these investments, we are ensuring that our production technology and infrastructure continue to develop alongside our products, operations and international demand," he adds.

Fermion sites in Hanko and Oulu to gain API capacity

A significant share of the programme targets the active pharmaceutical ingredient plants run by Fermion, Orion's API manufacturing subsidiary, in Hanko and Oulu. In Hanko, Orion is renovating previously unused areas of the plant and fitting them with new production lines.

The company says the resulting facilities and equipment can later be used to manufacture a range of different active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The expanded facilities are expected to be operational during 2028. Oulu, which Orion describes as the world's northernmost API production site, is undergoing renovation and expansion of one of its production modules.

The project includes upgrades to production equipment and automation, along with improvements in the handling of highly potent compounds and support for versatile production processes.

Once complete, the modernised module will give Fermion greater flexibility in producing both Orion's own products and APIs made for external customers. This is the earliest completion in the programme, scheduled for 2027.

Turku receives the largest share of work

The Turku site carries three separate projects covering quality control and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, equipment and building systems. The Turku Chemical Quality Control laboratory, which currently occupies approximately 950 square metres, will be renovated and expanded to more than 1,600 square metres.

The laboratory plays a critical role in Orion's network: it analyses, among other things, incoming raw materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients manufactured at the Hanko site and is essential to the release of products for production. Completion of the laboratory project is scheduled for 2029.

The tablet manufacturing department in Turku will gain a new technical building, alongside modernisation of production facilities and equipment. Orion says the work is intended to improve production reliability and the conditions needed to manufacture both current and potential future medicines.

The facility project is due for completion in 2028, with equipment modernisation continuing until 2030, the latest finish date across the entire programme. Turku is also the site of Orion's hormonal gel production.

The company is investing there to increase capacity for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products and to improve manufacturing flexibility in response to growing demand. The hormonal gels produced at the site are used in the treatment of menopause symptoms.

Espoo to adopt new tablet manufacturing technology

At Espoo, Orion's home city and headquarters location, the investment focuses on new tablet manufacturing technology. The project includes installing a new large-scale coating drum and a blender capable of handling larger production batches than currently possible.

Production facilities will also be modified and extended as required. Orion expects the upgrade to increase tablet manufacturing capacity and improve production efficiency. Completion is scheduled for 2029.

A four-site programme on a single timetable

The combined value of the four-site programme exceeds USD 112 million, with projects scheduled for completion between 2027 and 2030. The first to finish will be the Oulu production module in 2027, followed by the Hanko expansion during 2028 and the Turku facility project that same year.

The Espoo tablet technology project and the Turku quality control laboratory are both due in 2029, while modernisation of Turku's tablet manufacturing equipment will continue until 2030.

According to the company, the stated aims across all sites are the same: to modernise production technology and infrastructure, increase manufacturing capacity, and improve operational reliability and flexibility, while supporting growing export products and building readiness for future medicines should Orion's development projects reach the market.