Finland-based pharmaceutics company Orion has announced its plans to establish a new research and development centre in Cambridge, the UK, this year.
The strategic move aims to strengthen Orion’s growth and expedite the development of new medicines, focusing on biological and large-molecule therapies.
The new R&D centre is expected to enhance the company’s biologics research projects as they advance towards clinical phases.
Orion Innovative Medicines and Research and Development executive vice president Outi Vaarala said: “Biologics are the fastest growing segment in pharma, representing huge opportunities for new innovative treatments.
“Cambridge is home to Europe’s largest biomedical research hub, and establishing our own Biologics R&D Centre in the area gives us access to a pool of world-class scientific talent and opportunities for collaboration with high-profile universities.
“I am thrilled about this continued internationalisation of Orion’s R&D to build the best expertise for the future.”
Currently, Orion’s R&D organisation comprises around 400 employees, with major sites in Espoo and Turku, Finland, and smaller hubs in Nottingham, UK, and New York City, US.
The new research centre in Cambridge will strengthen Orion’s presence in the UK, complementing its existing operations.
To align with the future needs of its biologics R&D facility, Orion will commence a statutory negotiation process in Finland.
The process would impact about 20 employees in Orion’s Protein and Antibody Engineering and Characterisation teams in Turku, while other R&D employees will remain unaffected.
Last week, Orion issued a negotiation proposal under the Finnish Act on Co-operation within Undertakings, for the reorganisation of operations and potential personnel reductions.
The reorganisation could lead to adjustments in the roles, transfers, or even employment terminations if alternatives are unavailable.
It could affect up to 15 employees, with potential redundancies expected in 2025.
Earlier this year, Orion and Invenra entered a research collaboration to discover bispecific antibodies using Invenra’s B-Body platform.
